THE WHAT, WHY, AND HOW OF QUINOA
If you’re buying this book, you’re probably already quite familiar with quinoa. But just in case, you should know that it’s pronounced kee-nwah and it’s a gluten-free ancient grain now grown primarily for its seeds. The seeds are full of protein and fiber, and also contain iron, lysine (essential for tissue growth and repair), magnesium (helps control blood sugar and often alleviates migraines), riboflavin (essential for metabolic energy production), and manganese (an antioxidant). I recommend white quinoa for the recipes in this book, but feel free to experiment with black or red quinoa as well. There is no significant difference in flavor, texture, or nutrition between the varying colors.
Quinoa should always be rinsed before use. The seeds are coated with saponins, a naturally occurring type of soap that repels birds and insects. It’s great for the quinoa and for the quinoa farmers, but not so great to eat.
QUINOA FLOUR
Quinoa flour is simply ground up quinoa seeds, so it’s pretty simple to make on your own. You can grind in a grain mill or a little bit at a time in a coffee grinder. I recommend roasting the quinoa flour after grinding it as you’ll get a richer, slightly sweeter flavor (unroasted quinoa flour has a noticeably bitter flavor) and it will be easier to digest. To do so, preheat oven to 215˚F. Spread flour about ¼ to ½ inch thick on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Many of the recipes in this book call for Quinoa Flour Mix. Used alone, quinoa flour can lead to heavy or overly crumbly results, but with a little brown rice flour and some starch, it’s beautiful. Since many people choose to use quinoa because of a gluten allergy or sensitivity, this flour mix is gluten-free. If you don’t have any issues with gluten, you could substitute the brown rice flour and starch for whole wheat or all-purpose flour.
QUINOA FLOUR MIX
Makes 6 cups.
2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups quinoa flour, roasted (see page 8)
2 cups potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight bag or container. For long-term storage, keep in the freezer.
To cook quinoa, first rinse the quinoa thoroughly. To do so, pour the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and run water over it until there aren’t any bubbles left. After it’s thoroughly rinsed, place it in a saucepan with an equal amount of water and turn the heat on high. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes. Many of the recipes in this book call for cool or chilled cooked quinoa. For these, you’ll want to plan ahead to give your quinoa plenty of time to cool down. Remember this ratio when deciding how much quinoa to cook:
1 cup raw quinoa + 1 cup water = 3 cups cooked quinoa.
Quinoa flakes resemble oats and can, in fact, be used as a replacement for oats in most recipes. You can buy them in many health food stores or online.
