Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mother of all grains: Quinoa
Add protein-rich food to celebration for mom
Pale purple, yellow and nearly translucent white blossoms sway all over the emerald green hills of Peru’s Sacred Valley. Fields and terraces along the roads and train route to Machu Picchu are lined with flowers. Hans, our guide during a trip in early March, explains that quinoa and potatoes bloom throughout the year. The scenery made us hungry.
Fortunately, Hans knew a place. In Pisac, a simple soup of quinoa, chicken broth and vegetables ignited our quinoa discovery journey for the next 10 days.
Morning breakfasts featured quinoabased granolas and small, crusty quinoa pancakes drizzled with local honey. Hans offered snack bars made from quinoa and dried fruit held together with just a touch of sugar. Gorgeous quinoa salads, both warm and cold, paired fresh vegetables with local potatoes and giant corn kernels. Late night suppers of quinoa soups and meaty stews soothed our tired selves.
Maria Speck, in her award-winning 2011 cookbook, “Ancient Grains for Modern Meals” (Ten Speed, $29.99), tells us that “nutrient rich quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) was revered by the Incas, who called it chisaya mama, the mother of all grains.”
Hmm. Sounds like the perfect food to celebrate with on Mother’s Day. I’ve re-created the recipe for one of our favorite quinoa dishes from our travels.
Quinoa, a high-altitude plant, flourishes in hostile conditions, surviving cold nights and hot days as well as watery and salty soil. The plant’s teeny, tiny seeds make nutritionists around the world happy. Speck writes that quinoa contains all the essential amino acids, making it an excellent source of protein. Ounce for ounce, quinoa is one of the planet’s most nutritious foods.
Its high protein content drives quinoa’s worldwide demand. That demand has made quinoa pricier in the recent years, especially the gorgeous red and black quinoas. Still, the protein punch is a bargain.
Giant sacks of quinoa in a variety of colors, as well as quinoa flours, line one whole aisle of Cusco’s main market. Here, most quinoa is sold as whole grain that we cook separately like rice or pilafs. It’s gluten-free and readily absorbs other flavors. These days, we can find quinoa in white, black and red or combinations in most grocery stores.
I love quinoa for its delicious, nutty flavor and quick-cooking attributes. I work quinoa into meals whenever possible. When I make rice, I substitute quinoa for some of the rice. Once cooked, quinoa can be added to salads and soups. I like to use a little quinoa flour in place of some of the all-purpose flour in biscuits and cornbread. It’s even good stirred into cookie and brownie batter.
Remember, quinoa is an agricultural foodstuff. Before using, pour it into a strainer and sort through it to check for pebbles. Then rinse it thoroughly under cool running water.