This tiny grain makes a great addition to both vegetarian stir-frys and savory chicken dishes. Like couscous and rice, you prepare quinoa by simmering the grains in liquid until all of it is absorbed and the grains are light and fluffy. Unlike couscous, however, quinoa is a non-wheat grain–people who cannot tolerate gluten can freely enjoy quinoa.
Even though I can pretty much eat anything (except scallops; to all the scallop fans out there, I apologize for not cooking with your favorite food), I prefer quinoa to couscous because the grains are slightly crunchy and have a faintly nutty taste. They also look more interesting in the final dish–during the cooking process, the center of the grain becomes almost translucent, which means that the germ ring along the edge is visible. This gives quinoa the effect of being haloed. It also means that it packs in a fair amount of fiber, protein, and iron for its size. All hail the whole grain!
The only tricky thing about quinoa is its size: the grains will stream out of the package like a rushing river if you aren’t careful, and they have a decided knack for skittering into nooks and corners. You might want to measure it out over a bowl until you get used to its flow.
Since quinoa is a South American staple, it seems appropriate to say ¡Buen provecho!
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Tags: gluten-free, latin, quinoa, stir-fry, whole grain
