Searching for a non-meat source for proteins that is not overly rich in carbohydrates can be a daunting task. It can also lead to some very boring food choices that offer too little versatility and an overly bland flavor.
Finding its way onto many grocery shelves is a grain-like food called "quinoa" (pronounced "KEEN-wah"), a food with ancient origins in South America. Known for its complete protein structure, unlike most vegan protein sources, quinoa is considered a supergrain by many nutrionists, though technically it is not a grain. Quinoa is a seed, and it easily serves as a substitute for rice or couscous. It is a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. It is also gluten-free and digests very easily.
Quinoa is beginning to appear at local grocery markets, usually in packaged form, but it has long been available at Central Market, Whole Foods, Market Street, and other specialty grocers where quinoa is sold in the self-serve bulk bins.
Quinoa can be prepared like white rice, with one part quinoa and two parts water. Recipes are widely available on the internet and in many new cookbooks.
Here is a recipe to consider for the upcoming holiday season.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 apples, chopped
- 2 smallish ribs of celery, chopped fine
- 1/4-1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 handful dried cranberries or raisins
- 1 pinch salt
- Bottled poppyseed dressing
- Toasted pumpkins seeds (pepitas), for garnish
- Bleu Cheese, crumbled (optional)
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients up to the poppyseed dressing together. Moisten with a few tablespoons of dressing. Set aside until ready to serve.
Readers may also want to browse the dozens of excellent recipes on cookeatshare.com.
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