Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Quinoa, the simple way





The best thing about becoming vegan (I thought) would be that I would immediately try tons of different foods. It wasn't immediate, but I am slowly trying things I'd never heard of. My kids are used to the "it's great to try new foods!" speech, and they all happily ate quinoa today, which made me squint with suspicion... are they really not asking what it is? I think that it looked a lot like some other tiny pasta I've made before.

Quinoa has a very interesting story. It is not a grain, or a grass, but its very grain-like seeds have been very important to people in the Andes mountains of Chile for thousands of years. It is very high in protein, making it a wonderful staple for vegans. Also, it is high in fiber, and gluten free!

Since this was my first time trying it, I cooked it according to the package directions and used veggie broth instead of water. I laid a bed of spinach, tossed some quinoa on top, cut up some vine-ripe tomatoes, added salt and pepper to taste, and voila.  


Simplicity at its best, right?

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