Quinoa - Mother of all Grains

Quinoa, pronounced ‘keen-wah’ or ‘kin-wah’, is a grain similar to Amaranth, which readers know is a special favourite of mine for cooking. Quinoa is high in nutrients and also comes from South American continent like Amaranth. It was a food used in sacred ceremonies by the Incas and was therefore frowned upon by the Christian Spanish Conquistadors, and subsequently suppressed. However it, survived this and is receiving a lot of new interest lately because of it ‘superfood’ status, and has even been considered ‘Kosher’ by Jewish communities if it has been harvested accordingly.

The nutritional value of Quinoa lies in its high protein content and balanced set of essential amino acids, the building blocks of cells. Because of this, it is an excellent food for vegetarians and vegans, and, its gluten free too, so it is wonderful for anyone who is even slightly gluten intolerant, or those with IBS. High in fibre, magnesium and iron, this grain can compliment many recipes and is considered easy to digest. The grains become sticky with heating and I personally use it to thicken vegie gravy or fruit puree for my baby, as well as the all important addition to any muffin recipe you have! :)

Quinoa on its own has an uncommon taste, slightly nutty, with a bitterness that is a result of the saponin coating of the grain itself. This coating is slightly removed in the milling process. Because of the slight bitterness, it is a good balancer in sweet or savoury foods. The flakes are very tasty over muesli or other cereal flakes for breakfast. Buy your Quinoa as a certified organic product to get as much nutrient content as possible. There are many certified organic brands of Quinoa which are available from online organic stores. Just ask by email and they will usually be able to provide you with a sample.

Almond, Sultana & Quinoa Muffins
1 cup wholemeal flour or gluten free flour (Plain) 1/2 cup whole milk
1tbsp baking powder 1/4 cup of Rice Bran Oil (or similar)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or sweetener of your choice) 2 eggs
1/2 cup Almond meal (ground almonds) 1tsp Vanilla extract if desired
1 cup sultanas 1tsp ground Cinnamon
Mix the dry ingredients well, then fold in the wet ingredients. Do not over-mix, just combine the two.
Spoon into muffin papers in a muffin tray, and bake for 20 mins in a pre-heated oven, 180˚ C. Wait till cool to enjoy. These are nice warmed with treacle and custard as a pudding too!