We see quinoa recipes everywhere: in food magazines, cookbooks, and on diet “yes” food lists. Quinoa is a dietician’s dream. A third of a cup of dry quinoa has 160 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 20% of the daily requirement for iron and phosphorus.

We decided to give Quinoa try. After searching for a recipe that could become part of a weekly repertoire, we adapted the following recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites cookbook. It is delicious with grilled meats, poultry, and seafood. It also works in a green salad with roasted chicken and cheddar cheese. Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

2/3 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons scallions
1½ cups cooked black beans (15-ounce can, drained)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh green chilies
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse well under cool running water. Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan, add quinoa, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, spices, cilantro, and scallions. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, red peppers, and chilies. Add the cooled quinoa, salt and pepper to taste, and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) hails its super grain status from its rich nutritional content. Grown for thousands of years in the South American Andes it was called “the mother grain” by the Incas. Although commonly referred to as a grain, pseudo grains such as quinoa are actually seeds with grain-like qualities. There are hundreds of varieties of quinoa, ranging in color from white to red and purple to black. The most commonly found variety is a pale yellow, with red quinoa also becoming more readily available. The tiny bead shaped grains have a mild, slightly nutty taste with a firm texture. It can be cooked the same way as rice but it will quadruple in size, becoming translucent with an unusual white outer ring.

This nutrient dense super food contains more high quality protein than any other grain and more calcium than milk. Considered a complete protein, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids making it an ideal choice for vegetarians who are concerned about adequate protein intake. It has the additional benefit of being high in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. Quinoa is also a good source of iron, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc. It is particularly valuable for people with Celiac Disease as it is gluten-free.

Quinoa is conveniently fast cooking so it can easily be used as a side dish instead of potatoes or rice. You can also use it to make warm or cold salads, pilafs, casseroles, stuffings, puddings and breakfast cereals. Although most packaged quinoa has already been cleaned, rinsing the seeds thoroughly is recommended as they are naturally coated with saponin, a bitter soap-like substance that protects it from birds and insects. Quinoa is generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Look for it in the natural foods department of your grocery or health food store.

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