If you’ve never eaten quinoa because it sounds too new-agey or unfamiliar you’ve got to get on the bandwagon with this grain. It is fast to cook, full of flavor, and it’s nutritional values will knock your socks off.
Quinoa is a grain which provides 5 grams of fiber per serving and it’s relatively high in protein, with 8 grams per serving and a low glycemic index of only 18. It’s got crazy high amounts of vitamins and minerals including (in one serving) over 10% of your DV of vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamine, zinc, iron, close to 20% of copper and folate, 28% of your DV for phosphorous, 30% for magnesium, and 58% for manganese! It’s basically a super grain.
It’s also manages to be filling and hearty while still being delicate. It brings a nutty flavor to the party while still being a good supporting character for the fuller flavors in a dish. In short, I totally love it and made myself promise I’d use it more often.
Prompted by an impending visit from Adam’s aunts I was tossing about in my head ideas for what to serve these two lovely ladies. Since they are vegetarians I was thinking about filling salads I could make with grains and this combination just came to me as I built the ingredient list one by one in my head. The image in my mind’s eye of a bowl of cooked quinoa was the perfect canvas on which to paint this dish. It’s hearty and filling while remaining subtle and delicate. The flavors blend beautifully with no one ingredient trying to hog all of the attention. A prefect supper side dish or center stage lunch.
Pronunciation assistance, please. Is it “kin…” or “quin…”?
Kin-wah