subject: Health Benefits Of Cooking Quinoa Grain [print this page] Quinoa is a plant with its origins in the Andes of South America. It is an excellent source of nutrition for infants and children. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a child' protein needs for one day. This grain like is a member of the "goose foot" family, which includes sugar beets and beet root. Quinoa is ready to harvest when the leaves have fallen, leaving just the dried seed heads.
Grains
The Incas referred to quinoa as the Mother of All Grains, and it played a pivotal role in the agricultural cycles of the Incas. In the past decade it has become a staple food, especially for many vegetarians and vegans, and a myriad of products have been made which rely on quinoa in the place of other grains. Consumers are urged to carefully check grains before Pesach for extraneous matter. Quinoa is my favourite grain for three reasons: First, it takes less time to cook than other whole grains just 10 to 15 minutes. Second, quinoa tastes great on its own, unlike other grains such as millet or teff.
Cooking
A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 1418 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. Many people compare quinoa pasta's texture to that of whole wheat pasta, and the same cooking precision applies. For a richer flavour, quinoa can be toasted in a dry skillet for a few minutes before cooking. Quinoa is easily digested; the least mucus-forming of all grains and requires little cooking time, about 35 minutes. When cooking quinoa we also add just a pinch of ghee for better taste. Quinoa flakes can be used as a fast-cooking cereal and can be added to pancake and waffle recipes. To pump the flavour up, try cooking it in lower sodium vegetable or chicken stock instead of water, or add it to a stir-fry to pick up the flavour of the sauce. Polished quinoa also retains a powdery residue that must be rinsed off before cooking.
Quinoa is also one of the least allergic grain-like products, and quinoa flakes can be added to other flours for baking. Its is lighter than but can be used in any way suitable for rice-as part of a main dish, a side dish, in soups, in salads and even in puddings. Quinoa is a far better choice than just about any whole grain you can name.
