Quinoa has been enjoyed in its home country of South America for over 3000 years. Recently countries outside South America have also started selling quinoa to an ever growing market. In the UK it is now available in some of the major supermarkets as well as the larger health food stores.
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What is quinoa?
To find quinoa you will need to go to the grain section of the shop or catalogue. It is actually a seed from a plant that is related to Spinach and Chard. The leaves can be cooke or eaten raw. You cannot buy these quinoa leaves in the shops as it doesn't keep well. The quinoa seed is by far the best way to get the full goodness from quinoa.
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What is Quinoa Like?
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Quinoa seeds are quite small and have a hard shell to them. There are different varieties but the most common one is the creamy white type. Red and black quinoa is much rarer. When I buy it I get it in 500g or 1 kg dry packs. You can replace any favourite rice dish you have with quinoa very easily. You will find that it adds its own character to any recipe you use it with.
How do you cook Quinoa?
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To cook quinoa the easiest way you take some water and quinoa in a saucepan and bring it to the boil on the hob. Most people use twice the volume of water to the quinoa quantity. The quinoa absorbs all the water if you get the amounts correct. Some quinoa still has a coating of bitter tasting saponins. You will need to get rid of this coating by running the quinoa under a tap for a minute or two. You are unlikely to buy coated quinoa as most shops sell it pre-rinsed but its best to be sure.
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When it is ready to eat you simply use it as an accompaniament to you main dish or indeed as a solo meal. You can put it in many other types of recipes. As well as blending in well with the other ingredient quinoa adds its own crunchy texture to the mix.
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When the quinoa is cooked you get a little “tail” that is the germ of the seed. This has a very pleasant crunch to it when you eat it. This is why I think people say it tastes a bit nutty. I’m not sure I agree but quinoa does taste good.
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You can microwave quinoa and put it in casseroles as a thickening agent. As well as the seed version there is also quinoa flour and quinoa flakes. You do have to go careful with the quinoa flour because it is not a straight substitue for wheat flour.
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What is special about Quinoa?
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Quinoa is almost unparalled in the world of seeds and grains. Being Gluten free you can include it into almost any special diet and it will not cause any health complications. Vegetarians all like it because it contains vatimins not found elsewhere and so fills in some of their protein gaps. Because it realeases the carbs slowly over time it is know to benefit a number of food related health problems.
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