What Do You Do With Quinoa?

While looking for something totally unrelated one day, I came upon an article about quinoa, which I knew about, but had never eaten. The article was extolling the virtues of this wondrous food, and yet when I asked a few people I knew, none of them had any idea what I was talking about. In fact, several of the people responding said that quinoa must be the product that quinine, the long used medication for malaria, is derived from.

Well no, it’s not.

Francisco Pizarro might have known a thing or two about New World conquest, but he would have made a lousy nutritionist. After toppling the Incan empire in 1532, the Spanish conquistador filled his ships with potatoes and corn destining them to become major players in the European diet while leaving a third crop to wither. Turns out, the fields Pizarro neglected to harvest were filled with the world’s most nutritious grain: quinoa [pronounced KEEN-wah].

“Quinoa is a true wonder food,” says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. “It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats.” Plus, it’s considered a “complete” protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle.

Unfortunately, not much has changed in the almost 500 years since Pizarro pillaged the Incas. More than ever, nutritionally inferior foods, such as corn, potatoes, rice, and wheat especially the refined versions fill our plates, while quinoa gathers dust on grocery-store shelves. And that’s a shame, because besides being great for you, quinoa is the rare culinary triple threat: delicious, easy to prepare, and ultra-versatile. Ready to harness the full power of this superfood? Here’s everything you need to know to make it a staple at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The article goes on and gives several recipes for all manner of things made with this little known food.

As for preparation, the simplest way is to cook quinoa like pasta: Fill a large pot or saucepan with water, and bring it to a boil. Add just about any amount of quinoa, turn the heat to low, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow the quinoa to cool.

Apparently, many people use quinoa as a substitute for pasta, which sounds reasonable, but I have only ever had a small amount, which was cooked like rice, and topped with a little butter.

None of the markets locally have it, so I am ordering some online. I am anxious to try some things on my own.

So, what’s your experience with quinoa? If it is as nutritious as the article says, it should be grown instead of rice sometimes, for the public good. Since the world needs densely packed nutrition, and quinoa seems to fit that description perfectly, it should become more of a staple in places like school lunchrooms, and hospital cafeterias.

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