A Colorful History of Quinoa

A Colorful History of Quinoa:

By Charlotte Bradley
Check out all of Charlotte Bradley ’ s Healthy Lifestyles column .
Although quinoa has only been available in North America since the 1980s, it comes from the Andean regions of South America where it has been an important food crop for 6,000 years .
The Incas believed the crop was sacred and referred to it as “ chisaya mama ” meaning mother of all grains. It provided their warriors with energy and stamen. During the conquest, the Europeans viewed quinoa as a food suited merely for the Indians and they scorned it. The conquistadors even forbade its cultivation for a period of time.

Although it is much considered a granulate and treated as a grain, quinoa is actually the source of a plant. It is related to leafy greens such as swiss chard and spinach. It ranges in color from bone to pinks, browns, and reds or about black depending on the assortment. I am more companion with the bone, as it seems to be the most readily available. I have besides tried the colored bolshevik diverseness, and I quite like it a well. Quinoa has a insidious, balmy relish, and a nice creamy texture with a rebuff crunch .

Health Benefits:

Quinoa is a good reservoir of protein and one of the few establish foods that contains all nine essential amino acids that make it a complete protein and an excellent choice for anyone who follows a vegetarian diet .
Like most whole grains, quinoa has many benefits that fight cardiovascular disease. It contains gamey levels of antioxidant materials, such as manganese, that help to prevent cell damage .
It is besides an excellent source of magnesium which is very effective for relaxing rake vessels and a capital benefit to migraine sufferers and those with high blood pressure .
Quinoa is very easy to prepare and cooks quickly. You receive all the benefits of a wholly granulate, yet quinoa cooks ampere promptly as ashen rice. This makes it a great option for a flying however alimentary weekday dinner.

How To Cook Quinoa – Preparation and Cooking of Quinoa :

Quinoa has a acerb coating ( saponins ) which needs to be rinsed away before use. In South America, the saponin that is rinsed away is used as a clothes detergent and antiseptic to heal clamber injuries. much of the quinoa sold commercially in North America is processed to remove this coating. however, I always rinse it anyhow. I made the err of not doing thus once and my quinoa tasted very acrimonious, not at all what I was expecting ! I suggest you do this excess step .
Rinse Quinoa: Soak the quinoa in a belittled saucepan, swishing the grains around with your fingers. Drain and repeat 3 or 4 times until the water system is clear. alternatively, rinse in cold, running water in a very well strainer. Shake off any surfeit water and you are ready to proceed with fudge .
Toast or Roast Quinoa: Before fudge, quinoa can be dry-roasted in a pan or in the oven to give it a toasty season. To roast quinoa, heat some oil ( 1 tablespoon of neutral oil for every 1 cups quinoa ) over medium-low inflame and add your quinoa. Stir it constantly ( so that it doesn ’ thymine burn ) until it begins to turn gold, approximately 6 to 8 minutes .
To Salt or Not To Salt: No salt will make quinoa softer and fluffier, a short salt will make it firmer and it may take 1 or 2 extra minutes to cook.

Cook Quinoa: Bring two ( 2 ) cup of water or broth ( you could substitute some wine for part of the water or broth ) to a boil with one ( 1 ) cup of quinoa and a nip of strategic arms limitation talks ( if using ). Cover and simmer on abject for 15 to 20 minutes or until you see the germ has separated from the semen. It will have a bantam curl to it. You can besides use a rice cooker, cooking it the same way you would white rice .
To Serve: After the quinoa has cooked, use a crotch to fluff and separate the grains .
Quinoa can be substituted about anywhere that you would use rice, either plain or seasoned as in pilaf. It can besides be added to stews – I sometimes use it in vegetarian chili. For breakfast, quinoa can be served porridge-style with milk and brown university sugar or any of your favorite toppings. Another way that I actually enjoy quinoa is cold in a salad. Below I ’ ve included a delightful recipe that uses quinoa rather of the traditional bulgur in tabbouleh .