quinoa, my quinoa

i discovered  quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) while I was parked and on my way to walmart to hoard some carbonated water. as i was about to turn off my engine one of the DJs asked this:

dj: i was at the restaurant with a girl, ok? and then i started reading the menu looking for something to order and then i saw something with quinoa... so i said why not, quinoa's a healthy food...does that make me look gay?

now that's the first time i heard that word and the dj doesn't  even know how to pronounce it (he pronounced it as ki-no-wa) that one of the female dj's had to correct him.... and then the female dj started saying something like: "wow, didn't even thought you would know what that is, that's good".


so i got curious and researched it, got intrigued and bought my first pack at whole foods, tried it, loved it and the rest is history..... yep, quinoa fan here!


so what is this quinoa thing....
 
a little history.i refrained from eating rice a loooong time ago. since i was rumored to be pregnant because i got fat. problem is when i moved here in the U.S i suddenly started craving for rice a lot more than when i was still in the philippines. and discovering quinoa is my weight saver! a very good rice alternative. most importantly its NOT carbs. ya hear me yo? NOT carbs.
 
quinoa is called the gold of the incas. quinoa is a super food and it is not technically a cereal grain like wheats or oats it is actually a distant relative of spinach and beets.
 
so why did i say that it's a super food? let me count the ways...

1. high in protein (8 grams in 1 cup cooked). yep, quinoa is a complete protein, which means that it contains all the amino acids necessary for our nutritional needs. complete proteins are rare in the plant world, making quinoa an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, or for anyone looking for healthy protein source.
2. it's also high in iron and calcium
3. a good source of manganese, magnesium and copper, as well as fiber (5 grams per cup).
4. quinoa is naturally gluten-free, making it an excellent food for celiac patients or other people following a gluten-free diet

so how do you cook it?
simple.
i use my rice cooker. yep. rice cooker. for one cup of quinoa just add 2 cups of water. oh. and dont forget to rinse it even if the package says its "pre-rinsed". if you don't have a rice cooker here's how:

1. combine one cup rinsed quinoa to two cups water or broth
2. bring to a boil
3. then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the seeds become translucent and the germ of the seed uncoils to form a little "tail."

quinoa has a light, slightly nutty taste and a fluffy texture. It makes a tasty porridge or casserole and can be added to soups and stews. so far i have made champurado and jambalaya out of it. basically, whatever you can do with rice you can do with your quinoa too.

still don't believe me?
here's a video.



sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/10-everyday-super-foods?page=2
http://www.livestrong.com/article/4695-need-health-benefits-quinoa/#ixzz1VmY6Didk
http://happynutritionist.com/quinoa.html