I have read countless articles and blog posts in the past few years expounding the marvels of quinoa. It’s been touted as the new super food. A wonder grain. A nutritional powerhouse. At first I was skeptical and wrinkled my nose at the thought of it. Can anything really live up to those kind of standards? It turns out it can. Quinoa is low GI, high in fiber, gluten-free and packed with iron and vitamins B and E. It contains all eight essential amino acids along with lysine (which very few grains have), making it a complete protein source. For a vegetarian (or anyone interested in healthy eating) that fact is kind of like winning the lottery. Oh and it’s extremely versatile. I have had it in soup, salads, patties/burgers, for breakfast and even in muffins. If you are trying it for the first time the texture may seem a bit odd and I have to admit that it did take me a while to get used to (and appreciate) it’s uniqueness. On the plus side it readily takes on the flavour of whatever it is cooked in (be that stock, fruit juice, milk…the options are virtually endless) so it rarely fails in the taste department. Continue reading
Taste Without Waste 