Cooking with Quinoa

By Wendi Hope Hager, Editor

What is quinoa? Does it have nutritional value? And how do you incorporate it into your diet? Although quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) is a high protein seed that comes from a leafy plant related to spinach, it is used more as a grain in cooking. It contains essential amino acids as well as fiber, potassium, magnesium and iron. Quinoa is particularly easy to digest and is gluten free.

Quinoa is much like rice in preparation. However, it is important to rinse the quinoa to remove its bitter, soapy coating. (Most quinoa sold in the United States has already been soaked and just needs a rinse.) Always rinse first and then boil and simmer just as you would cook rice. You also can use a rice cooker to prepare it. Quinoa is extremely versatile and can be used as a side dish and in soups, cereal and salads. Here are a few quinoa facts.

• Although quinoa is new to the American market, it was a staple of the ancient Incas, who called it "the mother grain." Hailed as the "supergrain of the future," quinoa contains more protein than any other grain.
• A complete protein with all eight essential amino acids.
• Quinoa is higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains.
• Tiny and bead-shaped, the ivory-colored quinoa cooks like rice (taking half the time of regular rice) and expands to four times its original volume. Its flavor is delicate, almost bland, and has been compared to that of couscous.

How you use quinoa in your diet is only limited by your imagination. Here are a couple of recipes to inspire you.

Summer Grain Salad Recipe
Quinoa Pilaf Recipe