Quinoa – superfood, super easy to cook and a lovely subtle flavour which goes with a huge range of other ingredients.
Quinoa (pronounced keen wah) is a very easy food to cook and is also extremely versatile. It meets the definition of a low calorie, low fat superfood. Per serving it only has about 220 calories and is packed with so many other benefits. Quinoa contains a greater amount of proteins in comparison to other grains, and being Low GI (glycemic index) will keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you include it in your lunch, it will keep the tempting ‘munchies’ at bay, which is often the time you can fall prey to the boxes of chocolates or biscuits that seem to appear in staff rooms!
Cooking it is very easy. The microwave is the best, but on the stove top is really easy too. It is faster than rice and better for you than pasta, especially if you are on a low or no Gluten diet.
The proportions are easy. One cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water/stock. Microwave, covered for about 10 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes, then fluff it up with a fork. Ready to go!
If you are using quinoa as a base for chicken or fish, then add a couple of threads of saffron and 1/2 cup of white wine (use the wine you will serve with the fish or chicken).
For amazing burgers, add some fresh chilli, use chicken or vegetable stock, and then mix the quinoa with some sautéed spinach or kale, an egg and some breadcrumbs! There’s your lunch for the next couple of days!
Loads of health conscious people have known about this amazing food for ages, but it is only recently that the rest of us are catching up. This is thanks to cooking shows, huge publicity about diets (the good, the bad and the ugly) and general awareness of lowering Gluten intake, reducing processed foods and having a lower GI diet.
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