Welcome to Veggin' Out

Happy new year everyone! I'm Lisa Henderson and this is Veggin' Out. Visit frequently for vegetarian cooking advice and recipes, as well as discussions about vegetarian lifestyle (restaurants, shopping, animal welfare/politics). I enjoy focusing on a particular ingredient each week and giving you in-depth information about it along with an outstanding recipe. And I love to hear your comments and advice as well, so don't be shy!

Today, we're going to talk about quinoa. Quinoa is a high-protein grain--it actually has about twice as much protein as other grains or seeds. And it is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is also gluten-free. Quinoa is rich in magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, and selenium...it's high in antioxidants, rich in lignans, and is high in fiber...sounds like the perfect food, doesn't it? And, oh yes, I forgot to mention--it tastes great too!

You can find it in most supermarkets now...you can definitely find it in any natural foods market like Whole Foods, Mothers Market, etc....and to save money, look for it in the bulk bins, however you can also buy it in a small box or bag in the rice aisle.

The best recipe I've found for quinoa is the Curried Grain Salad in the Cafe Flora cookbook. Cafe Flora is an absolutely stellar vegetarian restaurant in Seattle, and they have an equally stellar cookbook, so check it out. The Curried Grain Salad recipe has quinoa, spelt berries or wheat berries, dried fruit, nuts, and a delicious Dijon Curry Vinaigrette which coats it. If you can't find or don't desire spelt berries or wheat berries, you can make it just with quinoa, and I think it's just as good and even easier that way. For the dried fruit, I like to use dried cranberries and raisins, and for the nuts, I like roasted cashews or pistachios. And this is a great recipe for leftovers or to bring to a potluck because it actually tastes better a day or two later. So, definitely try it the next time you have people coming over or you need to bring a dish into work to impress everybody! My husband, Lou, and I had it a couple of days ago as leftovers---I mixed into it some sauteed Quorn fake chicken chunks and zucchini and then garnished the quinoa bowl with some chopped cilantro--basically cleaning out the fridge--but it came together great! And then last night, we had the leftover curried quinoa again with some lightly sauteed kale and steamed carrots with fresh thyme, and that was a satisfying meal also. So this dish is a great side dish or base for a meal - a "quinoa bowl"! It's very versatile and, I promise, you'll enjoy it!

Please share with us your favorite recipe for quinoa...