Quinoa, a different kind of carbohydrate is versatile, tasty and good for the waistline. Here I served it with my Potato and Bean BakeI first tasted quinoa in 2005 in West Africa when my friend, Morag brought a packet back for me from the UK. I fell in love with it and for the remainder of my stay there, Morag would bring me this delicious grain when she returned from her break.
Quinoa became available in South Africa in 2007; I always keep a packet in the grocery cupboard.
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wha) is light and easily digested. It also has the most complete nutrition and highest protein content of any grain, making it an ideal food for vegetarians and vegans.
Quinoa is simple to make, cooks very much like rice, and is absolutely delicious all by itself. When cooked, quinoa is similar to couscous, but more substantial, tasty and nourishing.
Quinoa goes well with a variety of dishes: with spicy vegetarian stews, with potato dishes, in a veggie pilaf, or salad. It loves to be sautéed and spiced.
According to the recipes I found on Google, the cooking method is very long and involved. I have never bothered to use these instructions. I merely heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the quinoa and stir all the time. I add a little water (about ½ cup), cover the saucepan and once the liquid has been reduced, the quinoa is ready to eat.
A few weeks ago I felt like a change of carbohydrate (starch). So I cooked some quinoa to enjoy with my Potato and Bean bake which recipe you can find here.
And yes, you guessed it: quinoa is easy on the waist!
Your dish looks delicious. I have never heard of Qinoa before. I doubt it would be available here.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo, I must admit I have never heard of it before either.When reading through blogs I come across so many interesting ideas and recipes and find I am getting a little more adventurous in my own cooking as a result.
ReplyDeleteAnything that is good for the waistline can't be bad!
That looks great! I love quinoa. Thanks always for your wonderful, healthy recipes!
ReplyDeleteHi diane;) I had to scout around here in SA as well and eventually found it in a health shop. It's quite a different taste/texture and no man in my family touches it!
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy;) Yes, I love gleaning ideas and recipes from other bloggers. I meant to say to you your feta quiche looked divine and I'll try it soon. I like to eat and so that it doesn't become obvious that I like to eat, I try to eat healthy/diet friendly food (lol!)
I Dedene;) I was just wondering where you were! Thanks for your positive comment. Off to read your post which has popped up on my blog list.
We have such a multi-racial society I wonder if Quinoa is available. It sounds good enough to eat ... Oooh.
ReplyDeleteHi Valerie;) my friend always bought it at her local Sainsbury in Peterborough. Or perhaps she found it in a health/organic shop.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, coyotes are not at all aggressive. I have seen them before and they usually just run away.
I tried quinoa once, plain, and didn't like it. I need to try it with some other things mixed in.