Worshiping Quinoa

Image courtesy of Indainapublicmedia.org

In 2013 quinoa was named International Grain of the Year by the United Nations, but by then our worship of it was in full swing . I was surprised to find a number of recipes for it  in the New York Times from December 31, 1969, and mention of it as far back as the early 1900’s. Chenopodium Quinoa is native to the Andes mountains, and has been eaten in Bolivia and Peru for thousands of years; there is evidence of it’s existence as far back as 5,000 BC.  Unfortunately the demand we have created for quinoa is having an adverse effect on the people who grow it, including that they can no longer afford it, as it has become too valuable as a commodity.

As you can see in the photo above, the plant is beautiful, and quinoa does have some amazing qualities to recommend it; it is packed with antioxidants, is suitable to those with gluten allergies and sensitivities, it is high in protein, minerals and fiber.  For a deeper look check out this page from the Whole Grains Council. It is good cold or hot, can be a warm breakfast cereal, and a nice bed for roast pork or chicken dinner. No wonder it is a superstar, and yet for many people it is still a mystery, and seems like something they wouldn’t really like very much.

I admit it, I was one of those people too. I’d tried it a few times, and was unimpressed, but I have grown to like it a lot, and I plan to make it easier for those doubters among you to give it a first or second try. It is a healthier alternative to white rice, and if you make it right everyone in your house will like it just as much.  For today I offer a recipe of a quinoa salad similar to tabbouleh salad.  I cooked then cooled the quinoa, and added veggies and some lovely mint and goat cheese, with a simple lemon juice dressing.  My daughter loved it, and it made a nice lunch for me.  

Quinoa Salad

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 cucumber (peeled, cut in half and seeded)
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half)
• 2oz fresh goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons mint (cut in chiffonade)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Step 1

In a 2 quart pot, heat stock to boiling, reduce heat and stir in quinoa and cover pot

Step 2

Simmer quinoa for twenty minutes, it will pop open and look fluffy. Let cool to room temperature, but dress before it cools completely

Step 3

Put lemon juice in a bowl, and place the bowl on a damp paper towel to keep it from moving. Whisk oil into lemon juice to form an emulsion, pour over quinoa, add cut up vegetables and mint and toss well

Step 4

Crumble goat cheese and mix into salad. Refrigerate and cool completely before tasting for seasoning.