Quinoa - The Mother Grain

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain from South America. The Incas in the Andes originally cultivated quinoa and referred to it as the "mother grain" since it is an annual plant that bears seeds indefinitely. It is not a true cereal grain but is technically a member of a family of herbs. The entire plant, including the leaves, stem, stalk, and seeds is edible. and grows from three to six feet high. Its seeds, which look like a cross between millet and sesame seed, are in large clusters at the end of the stalk.

Quinoa is considered a "super grain" because of its nutritional benefits. One cup of quinoa has more calcium than a quart of milk and has twice the protein of barley or rice. It is a good complement to legumes that are often low in the amino acid, methionine and is higher in oil than other grains. Quinoa is available as a whole grain that cooks in about 15 minutes and can be substituted for almost any grain in most recipes. It can be used in soups, salads, entrees and even desserts. It is gluten free, is a complete protein and


It comes in a variety of colours - plain, red, black which is great for colourful and nutrirional variety to dishes. To cook, generally rinse to remove last traces to saponin (it's own natural pesticide), bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until they turn transculcent with a white edge.

I always have quinoa cooked and frozen in case of emergencies.

Quick Ideas

Quinoa, fish (almost any kind), plain yoghurt, cumin.

Quinoa, stewed or fresh fruit, cinamon.

Quinoa, berries, nuts (walnut, hazelnut, almond), agave nectar.

As a substitute for rice.

 Lemongrass Quinoa

2 cups quinoa
4 ¾ cups water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 lemongrass stalk

2 Tablespoons canola or corn oil
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper

(or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 pinch ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper)
350  firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ bunch broccoli, cut into small florets and thin-sliced stems (6 cups)
½ capsicum, seeded and minced.

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve under cold running water for 1 minute to extract the bitter saponins.

Let it drain for 2 minutes.

Bring 4 ½ cups water to a boil in a saucepan, add 1 teaspoon salt and the quinoa.

Cover the pan, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.
While the quinoa cooks, prepare the lemongrass: Cut off the bulbous bottom third of the stalk. Remove the tough outer leaves and, cut this piece into thin slices, then mince it. (Save the rest of the stalk for stocks, soups, stews, or even tea.)
Heat the oil with the ginger and garlic over medium heat, stirring constantly.

After a minute or two, add the minced lemongrass. Sichuan pepper, and tofu. Add salt to taste.

Stir-fry the mixture over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add the broccoli and the remaining ¼ cup water.

Cover the skillet and let the mixture steam over low heat for 5 minutes.
Uncover the skillet and add the quinoa, red pepper, and salt to taste.

Stir gently until all the contents are hot, then serve.

Serves 8 Nutrients per serving:
Calories 242 Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 11 gm Carbohydrates 34 gm
Fat 8 gm Sodium 322 mg