Have a peek at this exciting new super-food

Need a good way to get a great source of protein minus the meat?  Sick to death of scarfing soy all day?  Or maybe just get some fiber without having to eat your cereal box in the morning.

 What the heck is Quinoa?

-Quinoa is very nutritious and high in protein,  and is great for cooking vegetarian meals and vegans looking for a little extra protein in their diet.

-It is the seed of a leafy plant, which is related to spinach.

-It can be purchased in it’s many forms at supermarkets, organic markets, and even on Amazon.com!

-Quinoa comes in meal form, flour form, and flake form.

-Quinoa is cooked completely when you can bite into it and it has lost it’s chalky inside.

-If you over cook the Quinoa, it will be mushy and not a pleasant consistency.

-Quinoa is pronounced “Keen-Wa”

-When preparing whole Quinoa, rinse the seeds well as they are naturally coated in a bitter substance thought to repel birds and other animals.

15 Minute Masterpiece

Basic Quinoa Recipe: 4 – 6 Servings: 2 quart pot with tight fitting lid

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups cold water

1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Directions:

Soak the quinoa first for 15 min – 1/2 hour in it’s cooking pot. Soaking loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give a bitter taste if not removed.

If you don’t have time for long soaking, use hot water and soak for five minutes, then give an extra rinse or two

Stir the quinoa with your hand, and carefully pour off the rinsing water, using a sieve at the last.

Put the quinoa back in the pot, add more water, and rinse again two or three more times, until the rinse water is pretty clear

Drain quinoa well in the sieve.

Place quinoa in the pot, add the water & salt.

Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer.

Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on.

Fluff gently with a fork and serve. Quinoa is delicious on it’s own, and makes a great breakfast food with a variety of seasons like cinnamon and brown sugar.

Fancy enough for Company

Quinoa Burgers with Hummus and Red Pepper

These are great, even the fussiest kids will tolerate this dose of health food with compliance.

1/2 cup quinoa, well-rinsed under cold water
1 medium carrot, cut in large chunks
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 15-ounce can white beans (e.g. cannellini or great northern beans), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup silken tofu for a vegan burger)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

4 whole grain or regular hamburger buns
Accompaniments: purchased hummus, salad greens, jarred roasted red bell peppers

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, green onions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg (or tofu), cumin, salt, and pepper. Pulse until just blended (and still slightly chunky).

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick). If too soft, refrigerate 15 minutes to firm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes per side.

Toast the buns and spread with some of the hummus. Top with the burgers, greens and red bell peppers. Makes 4 hearty burgers.

Five Star Dish

Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù and Smoked Mozzarella

For quinoa cakes

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For topping

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 pound smoked mozzarella, diced

Make quinoa cakes:
Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, wash quinoa in 3 changes of water in a bowl, then drain well in a fine-mesh sieve.

Stir quinoa into boiling water and return to a boil, then simmer, covered, until quinoa is dry and water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then stir in egg.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and lightly brush with oil. Lightly oil a 1-cup dry-ingredient measure. Pack enough quinoa into measure with a rubber spatula to fill it two-thirds full. (If spatula becomes sticky, dip in water.) Unmold onto baking sheet and gently pat quinoa into a 4-inch-wide patty with spatula. Make 3 more quinoa cakes, brushing measure with oil each time. Chill cakes, uncovered, at least 15 minutes.

Make topping while quinoa cooks and chills:
Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 30 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of eggplant to extract liquid, then pat dry.

Cook eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, roasted peppers, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender and mixture is thick (if dry, thin with a little water), about 10 minutes.

Cook quinoa cakes:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Carefully add quinoa cakes and cook, turning once carefully and adding remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes total (pat cakes to reshape with cleaned rubber spatula while cooking if necessary). Transfer to plates.

To serve:
Return eggplant ragù to a simmer and stir in parsley and half of mozzarella, then simmer, stirring, until cheese just begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Spoon over quinoa cakes, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.  ·Quinoa cakes can be formed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
·Eggplant-tomato ragù, without parsley and mozzarella, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.