Quinoa Magic

I discovered Quinoa quite late in the day. It seems to be a well kept secret amongst vegans & vegetarians. I was very impressed to discover that this SEED [which looks like a grain] has the highest amount of protein than any other grain in both quantity and quality. It has lots of Iron, Calcium, Vitamin E, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus and the B vitamins. It is low in fat and high in fibre. Ticking all the boxes? I should say so!

This recently re-discovered South American staple was once called the Gold of the Incas. It grows in the Andean mountains and used to be considered a sacred food of the Aztecs. Nowadays you can get it easily from health stores, markets and supermarkets. It is not very expensive and a little goes a long way.

This bag cost me about $4 from a health shop

It looks a bit like couscous and can be treated like rice. You need to rinse it very well - I like to soak mine beforehand to almost help the seeds germinate. You can soak it for 20min - overnight, depending on when you remember that you want to use it! Then rinse off the water and wash/ drain the seeds well. The seeds are coated with a substance called saponins which can be bitter. By rinsing them well in cold water you can remove this easily.

Quinoa, Chicken stock with saffron threads, Courgette, Red Pepper and Onion

I like to use quinoa as vehicle for other flavours and in this recipe I am using it like rice in a risotto. After soaking the quinoa I like to prep all the veg and have the ingredients ready.

Ingredients:
1 x Cup of Quinoa [soaked in cold water]
1 x large brown onion diced
1 x Courgette diced
1 x Red pepper diced
Pint of hot chicken stock
Pinch of Saffron - soaked in hot chicken stock
Lemon and parsley for garnish

1. Prep all the veg before washing and draining the Quinoa.

2. Put 1 tablespoon of canola oil/rapeseed oil into a non stick frying pan. Fry the veg on a high heat to slightly caramelise but not cook through, then set aside.

3. Dry fry the onions to soften and add in the drained Quinoa and mix together to heat through.

4. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then gently simmer to allow the seeds to absorb the liquid but don't stir too often.

5. Add the veg back in as the stock gets sucked up by the grains - then cover and take off the heat. Allow it to finish cooking for 15min without lifting the lid off. Then stir with a fork to fluff up the seeds.

6. Scatter over the finely chopped parsley and squeeze over some lemon to freshen up the dish.

I served this with Lamb chops roasted with smoked paprika, garlic and rosemary. You can serve this with Fish/Chicken or even with a poached egg on top for a fancy brunch.

You can use Quinoa in a many different way. Here are some ideas:

- Gently heat and simmer in milk for Quinoa Porridge in the morning. Add in a teaspoon of honey and a handful of blueberries and almonds to create a healthy brekkie.
- Throw in a handful into any soup [e.g. minestrone] or stew [Spanish chicken recipe works well with this]  to add bulk and increase the protein content of you meal.
- Boil in hot stock/water for about 10min, drain and then scatter over salads as a nutty garnish.
- Scatter over your normal crumble topping and add a nutty texture to your puddings.

Nutritional Points:

I find this super grain to be very more-ish and quite filling. It is to be highly respected as it is a complete protein by which I mean it has all the essential amino acids.

Proteins are made of amino acids. There are 9 that our bodies cannot make and need to get from our diet. These are called Essential Amino acids [they include Lysine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine and Histadine]. A complete protein should contain all of these. Some other sources of complete proteins include Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs and Soyabeans.

Vegetarians and Vegans are usually told to try and food combine to get all their essential amino acids. Some plant based products don't have the complete range e.g. Lentils/pulses have most of the essential amino acids but are low on lysine. Rice is known to have lysine in it and so they are encouraged to have rice and lentils to get the full complement of amino acids. Another example is beans on toast. So overall Quinoa is a great source of complete proteins for those who are very strict with their diets and it contains large amounts of Lysine which is essential in tissue growth and maintenance.

Give it a try - it's a great store cupboard ingredient and adds a different dimension to your daily options!