INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Quinoa: Native to the Andes and about the size of sesame seeds, quinoa
(pronounced KEEN-wa) has a more impressive protein profile than that of
wheat and contains numerous amino acids (lysine, cystine, and methionine)
not normally found in grains.  It's also very quick-cooking, delicious, and
easy to digest.
Quinoa must be carefully swooshed in water and rinsed multiple times until
the water runs clear to remove all the bitter saponin coating (believe to
be a natural insect repellent). Packaged quinoa tends to be cleaner than
quinoa bought in bulk.  Rinse the quinoa just before cooking and drain it
thoroughly. If the grain sits for 5 to 10 minutes in a moistened condition,
the seeds begin to soften and this throws off the cooking time.
Plain-cooked quinoa has a slightly grassy taste, so I prefer to cook it in
vegetable stock with a few cloves of garlic or perhaps a generous pinch of
dried herbs. I have experimented with toasting the quinoa before cooking,
but I don't think it's worth the effort: The grain has a lovely nutty
quality and slight crunch without any extra fussing.
The trick to preparing quinoa is to be stingy on the water and the cooking
time:  It can turn to mush in a flash. Be on guard! Properly cooked, it
will be light, fluffy, and transparent, with a small white filament (the
sprout) dangling visibly.  At the end of cooking time, if there's
unabsorbed liquid in the pot and the quinoa is tender, simply pass it
through the stainer.
Quinoa's mild flavor makes it a very versatile grain. Substitute it for
bulgar for a sensational Tabbouleh, or dye it scarlet with some raw beets
and serve it warm or at room temperature. It's also a natural cooked with
corn, another native American.  For a special treat, mail-order Ernie New's
organic black quinoa; it's gorgeous to look at, and has a delightful nutty
taste.  Warning: Ernie's black quinoa needs lots of rinsing and a minute or
two more of cooking.
BLACK QUINOA source:
:       Ernie New
:       White Mountain Farm, Inc.
:       8890 Lane 4 North
:       Mosca, CO 81146
:       719-378-2436
Source: Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen - by Lorna J. Sass
:       ISBN: 0-688-1051-1
:       Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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