Keen On Quinoa
July 8th
2008
I love qunioa, yes I do. I love quinoa, how ’bout you? I’m a happy camper! Tonight’s dinner was delicious, and it wasn’t even that fancy. We had pork chops (seared in safflower oil), and I served them with sauteed spinach and quinoa (keen-wah).
Potatoes, rice and couscous should be afraid. There’s a new (grainy, starchy) side in town.
I sliced a yellow onion to cook in the pan with the chops which I weighted down with a heavy cast-iron skillet to get a nice crust on them. But enough about that, let’s talk quinoa!
I think I first heard of quinoa on an episode of Top Chef, but immediately dismissed it because of its resemblance to couscous (I know, being a good foodie I should never judge food that way). Now, I don’t like couscous. It’s too grainy, sometimes gummy, and overall just not for me.
Quinoa is a different story. We cooked it in our rice cooker (the same volume proportions as rice), and while it was cooking, Bridget commented on the aroma filling our house. It smelled like grass, or maybe a little like hay. It wasn’t a bad smell, but I admit it did make us a little apprehensive. The rice cooker dinged, and I took off the lid.
I gave the grainy little specs a stir, and tasted them. They were delicately sweet, soft and, well, grainy like couscous. This stuff is super healthy for us, and I’m stoked I found it. Each serving’s got tons of protein, and it’s wheat/gluten free.
Make sure to read the Wikipedia entry which says that the Incas referred to quinoa as the “mother of all grains.” Oh heck, let me just paste it here:
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
In its natural state quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating. Some have speculated this bitter coating may have caused the Europeans who first encountered quinoa to reject it as a food source, since they adopted other indigenous food plants of the Americas like maize and potatoes. However, this bitterness has beneficial effects during cultivation, as the plant is unpopular with birds and thus requires minimal protection.
I’m a dork.
hahaha… i just realized i have been pronouncing quinoa (in my head) all wrong! i have been meaning to try it for so long - i really need to pick some up on my next shopping trip!
Posted by Jaime on July 8th, 2008 at 8:50 pmOh man, I love quinoa and have since a good friend introduced me to quinoa muffins with almond butter. DELISH. I need to find that recipe and blog it. So good.
Posted by Rachel on July 8th, 2008 at 11:35 pmI’ve always wondered how this tasted.
Posted by Jessica on July 10th, 2008 at 2:37 pmI love quinoa. I toast it first in the pan and then cook it. I make a pilafy version with dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, green onions and whatever else you like. Yum!
So much going on around here, Blake. That’s great!
Posted by Geggie on July 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pmI just recently bought some quinoa to try. Dorks rock! ; )
Posted by Holly @ PheMOMenon on July 10th, 2008 at 6:24 pmYour meal sounds awesome. I love quinoa too — and its so good for you! I loved your comments regarding couscous, because frankly, I don’t much care for the tiny stuff either. That said, I really adore Israeli couscous — its bigger like a pearl or orzo or something. Its like a completely different food and makes all those couscous recipes suddenly make sense. Truly. Well, IMHO anyway. Maybe you’ve tried it and don’t like it either…
Posted by Gina on July 10th, 2008 at 11:24 pmi am a HUGE fan of quinoa…i love to eat it in a salad with chopped tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions…tonnes of fresh herbs chopped in like basil, coriander, mint and parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and some soya sauce and olive oil. it’s so good with anything!
Posted by the airy fairy on July 13th, 2008 at 5:16 pmi’ve never heard of this but it looks reallllly delicious!
Posted by jessy on July 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pmGeggie’s suggestion sound delicious. I’m definitely going to have to try that! I’ve been a fan of quinoa for a while, and was glad to see that Gourmet.com has a few great recipes with quinoa:
http://www.gourmet.com/search/query?query=quinoa
As does TraderJoesFan.com: http://www.traderjoesfan.com/Articles/Articles/Quinoa:_The_Mother_Grain/
I get the TJ’s Harvest Grains Blend with red quinoa pretty regularly.
http://www.traderjoesfan.com/Trader_Joes/Products/Misc/Harvest_Grains_Blend/details/
They have some excellent packaged grains that are very healthy for you, and simple to make.
Posted by Patrick on July 14th, 2008 at 5:56 pmI love quinoa too! I had a quinoa risotto the other day (or would it be a quinoatto?) and it was delicious! I highly recommend using quinoa in risotto.
Posted by Hillary on July 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pmBravo for quinoa and your awesome write up! We cook quinoa in the rice cooker too, especially for big parties.
No, you’re not a dork, maybe a good geek….just like us too!
Posted by White On Rice Couple on July 20th, 2008 at 2:45 pmQuinoa is sooo great! It is the only grain that is a complete protein. It used to be considered hippy food, but now it seems to be making a great comeback! It seems everywhere I turn, there’s quinoa!
My favorite way to enjoy quinoa is to sauté it with olive oil, onions, and garlic. When it has toasted enough, the little grainy-pods will begin to open. Then it is time to add your cooking liquid and simmer. Basically, using the pilaf method takes this little grain to a whole new level.
Early on I was warned that just merely steaming or simmering quinoa without “toasting” it first can sometimes leave the grain with a soapy aftertaste. So, this is the only way I cook it.
Cheers to quinoa!
Posted by Ann on July 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 amI like quinoa but have never been able to get it fluffy like yours. I just might have to invest in a rice cooker.
Posted by Maggie on July 31st, 2008 at 7:53 pm