Guest Post: Quinoa, Exposed!

Ann's quinoa dish

My love affair with quinoa [keen-wah] started several years ago. I don’t even remember how we were first introduced. But I was embarrassed to find out recently that I had been mistakenly stereotyping it as a grain. While it looks like one and eats like one, it is in fact, NOT a grain. I apologize quinoa, please forgive me. You are a seed, a gorgeous, delicious seed from a plant in the beet, chard and spinach family.

Do you know quinoa? Or maybe you have come to love it as I have, but may not have all the facts? Let me introduce you to quinoa, “the mother seed,” as it was lovingly called by the Incas, who regarded it as a sacred food.

Fun Facts:

• Quinoa is not only a great source of protein, but it is high quality protein which means that it contains all the essential amino acids.
• It is packed with vitamins and minerals, most notably iron, magnesium, folate and manganese.
• Quinoa may be eaten like a grain and used in place of rice, cereals or pasta.
• It is excellent served hot or cold (i.e., in salads).
• Originally grown in the Andes Mountains in South America, Spanish conquerors forbid its cultivation, essentially eradicating it from the food supply for centuries.
• Two Americans (Stephen Gorad and Don McKinley) played a large role in reviving quinoa in the early 1980s recognizing its potential health benefits and began cultivating it in Colorado.

Ann's son Cameron, 18 months, enjoying quinoa

Just in time for summer where fresh produce abounds in home gardens and farmers markets, I made this dish the other evening. I don’t really measure as I cook, so the amounts listed below (besides the quinoa and water) are approximate. Experiment and have fun!

Garden Fresh Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly

2 cups water

½ tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp garlic, minced

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 – 3 handfuls spinach leaves

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the water and quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is gone.
2. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until golden. Add tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt.
3. Add cooked quinoa and remainder of ingredients. Stir to combine. Serve or immediately or chill and eat cold as a salad.

Source: The Visual Food Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Macmillan; 1996.

Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RD, LD is a dietitian from Atlanta, GA. As a mom, athlete, foodie and nutritionist Ann enjoys working with individuals, families and food industry professionals helping them “eat to nourish, energize and flourish!”^TM Find out more about Ann and read her blog at www.dunawaydietetics.com.