Secret 1 – Quinoa is gluten free
This seed is a good source of many vitamins and nutrients. Being gluten free and very non allergenic also means that people who have restricted diets can usually eat it with out any problems.

Secret 2 – It is a complete protein
It contains 8 (Some say 9) vital amino acids. For vegans and vegetarians looking for alternative to tofu and soya it is ideal. It is also far more versatile in the kitchen then other vegan sources of protein

Secret 3 – Quinoa Is good for your health
It is a vegetable protein which is easy to digest. It also is a complex carbohydrate that slowly releases its goodness into the body. You do not get a rush of carbs followed by a lull. This is great for diabetics and people with kidney problems

Secret 4 – There are different types
When I grew some quinoa in my garden last year I was surprised at the number of varieties in the seed catalogue. There are also at least 3 different colours. The most common is white quinoa (More a cream colour). You can also have black quinoa and red quinoa. The variety I grew was called rainbow and was a mix of browns, reds and blacks. The different varieties also have different levels of oils in them and some are more crunchy than other.

Secret 5 – Its comes in 3 forms
The most common form is the seed or grain form. This is what you boil in a saucepan with water for 10 -15 minutes. You can also buy quinoa flour. This is not a like for like substitute for wheat flour but I have had some success in baking with quinoa flour. The last variety is quinoa flakes. These can be made up into a breakfast porridge or muesli base. It can also be used to make quinoa cookies and biscuits.

Secret 6 – Quinoa Can Help You Lose Weight
Although it is not very low in calories or fat count quinoa is very filling. So you do not need to eat very much to feel satisfied. I was in a restaurant once where quinoa was on the menu. The portion served was massive. I had to leave most of it much to the waiters dismay. My Spanish Language skills were not up to explaining why I left so much on the plate. The other reason it helps you lose weight is that you always eat quinoa with other healthy foods such as vegetables and fruit.

Secret 7 – It Is Very Easy To Cook Quinoa
I do not understand people who say to me that quinoa is hard to cook. It is not. If you can boil pasta or rice then you can cook quinoa. It is a new ingredient to many but well worth looking into for the good health of your body

The reason for its growing popularity is twofold. Firstly there is the health benefits of quinoa. Secondly is the fact that quinoa is so easy to cook and include in your diet. Now that you can buy it over the counter in most food stores and supermarkets people are buying and adding it to their diet

So what exactly is quinoa?

Quinoa is a South American plant that bears seeds that you can eat. In recent years quinoa farming has been set up in the USA and I have personally grown my own quinoa in the south of England.
The plant is very easy to grow and does not have high demands in terms of soil quality and nutrients. If you do grow it in a fertile ground then you will get a higher yield but quinoa will grow pretty much anywhere.

The reason so many people are shouting its praises is because it is a fantastic source of protein and a slow releasing source of carbohydrates. It is also a very versatile food that can be used in salads, stir fry dishes, soups and casseroles and much more.
Quinoa is classed as a vegetable protein which is easy to digest. It has been shown to be good for your kidneys and bladder as it contains all the essential amino acids.

What Is Quinoa Like To Eat?

The taste of quinoa is light and delicate and can be used instead of rice in most recipes. Some people use it instead of couscous although it does not have the same texture as couscous. As you cook quinoa the external germ forms a band around each seed. It spirals out from the main seed forming a short tail. This tail gives quinoa its signature crunchy feel and texture.
Many vegans use quinoa to provide protein in their diet as it is a complete protein. In the UK athletes and sports men and women use it to help build up their stamina.

The Benefits

This is great pity because quinoa is one of the best foods you can eat. It is a complete protein and is gluten free. In fact for people who have to eat a highly restrictive diet quinoa is ideal as it is known to be one of the least allergenic foods. Because it is an alkaline food it is good for diabetes sufferers. There are also benefits for many other ailments and illnesses such as haemorrhoids, asthma, high cholesterol and blood problems.

The Solution To The Problem

The reason that quinoa has this slight bitterness about it is because of the coating that is on the freshly harvested seeds. When you grow quinoa it naturally has a coating on each grain. this coating is called saponins. These saponins are what provide the bitter and unpleasant taste.
A further complication is that some varieties that are grown have a larger layer of these saponins on them than others.

Whatever the variety of quinoa you buy there is an easy solution to the problem. You simple rinse the quinoa under a tap for a minute or two to remove the bitter coating. A doctor commenting on my youtube channel has told me that using warm water will do a better job of this rinsing and it does seem to do it quicker.

In practice I just use cold water. I have found that some varieties of quinoa are supplied pre-washed and others not so. If you buy yours in bulk it will certainly need rinsing before you cook your quinoa. In the UK I know that most varieties have been prepared well before packing. The only one I have found needed washing is from Morrisons.

Whatever brand you buy it is only a small thing to rinse the quinoa under a tap for a short while to get rid of the bitterness.
Of course if you eat as much quinoa as I do then you might get to actually like the bitter taste. Any residue bitterness will be cooked away when you boil the quinoa in water.

The printed quinoa cookbook contains the following.

70 Quinoa recipes
The Seven Day Quinoa Diet
The Quinoa Flour and Flakes Recipes
12 Articles including one on Sprouting Quinoa

I know I will be asked this – Are the 2 versions the same?
There is one recipe missing from the printed edition that I do not have the rights to.
There are some extra recipes in the print version to replace this one and add a few new recipes to some sections.

Order your Copy by clicking the link below
Buy The Quinoa Cookbook as a Printed Book- Click Here
If you want the full information on the quinoa cookbook then visit the Quinoa Cookbook Website HERE

Growing My Own Quinoa

I bought special seeds from the Real Seed Company. I ordered 2 varieties although I have only sown the Rainbow seeds this year. I am saving the others for a second crop in a few months. These special quinoa seeds are for cold and damp growing conditions which is probably why they have grown so well.

Having said that the weather here in the UK has been hot and sunny now for 2 weeks. Since the photo was taken the plants have grown considerably and now stand at about 2 feet. I have been told that you can take leaves fron the plant and use them in salads. You can also cook them like spinach. I haven’t tried this yet but I will.

I ignored the sowing instructions as I always do and simply put seeds in a 2 inch seed pod tray for germination. They nearly all germinated and as I only had room for about 8 plants most of them were thrown away. I was not expecting them all to work so well. As soon as the quinoa seedlings were 6 inches high I planted them out into my small vegetable plot. This was about 5 weeks ago. I now have a set of healthy quinoa plants growing away. I have no idea how high they will grow or how long it will take for the quinoa grain to appear on my plant but I am full of anticipation.

I had some of my family visit this afternoon and they were very interested in seeing the plants. Non of them had ever seen a quinoa plant before. I am sure my relatives think I am nuts about quinoa and they are right. But they couldn’t hide their amazement at the success of me growing this quinoa. (They are not that good at acting!)

On wednesday the first signs of germination were apparent with little leaves poking through the compost. By Sunday all the pods had little 1 inch high seedlings in them. I am growing a variety called Rainbow as the seeds are all different colours when the are ready to pick. You also cannot buy this variety in health food stores.

I was very surprised at the high germination rate of the quinoa. I had expected to only have a few plants to choose from. As it is I have at least 30. My plot will only take about 6 in the space I have reserved. So I will be throwing the rest out unless I can find someone with spare allotment space nearby.

I will wait until the seedlings are about 6 inches high before planting out. I am told that the quinoa plants are quite vigourous and will grow to a height of about 6 foot. When they are big enough I will post a few quinoa photos to show how they are doing. By September I hope to be cooking with my own home grown quinoa – very exciting.

The best time to harvest amaranth commercially is in dry weather three to seven days after first frost—a condition not easily met in many places. Most presently available varieties maintain too high a moisture content to be harvested mechanically before a killing frost.

Clean quinoa and amaranth with screens, by winnowing, with a fan or other blowing device. After harvesting, it is important to further dry your crop to ensure it won’t mold in storage. It can be left on trays in the hot sun or placed near an indoor heat source. Stir occasionally until it is as dry as possible. Store seed in air-tight containers in a cool dry place.

Threshing. Unlike beans or true grains, quinoa and amaranth have no hulls to remove. However, quinoa is covered with a bitter substance called saponin, which birds and deer won’t touch. Because of this coating, quinoa requires thorough rinsing before cooking. One method is to put the grain in a blender with cool water at lowest speed, changing the water until it is no longer soapy. It takes about five water changes to achieve the desired, non-frothy result. Another way is to tie the desired amount of quinoa in a stocking, a loose weave muslin bag, or a pillowcase and to run it through a cold water cycle of an automatic washing machine. You can also get away with less or no rinsing by mixing quinoa with other grains or pulses, rendering the saponin hardly noticeable.

Commercial quinoa has had the saponin removed.

Amaranth has no saponin and no hulls, so can be cooked without additional preparation.

Yields. An ounce or two of seed per plant is common but you can easily get over six ounces per plant grown in your best compost. Normal commercial yields for amaranth and quinoa are 1200 to 2000 pounds (500-900 kg) per acre. Agricultural combines are still being adapted to the lightness of the seed, and full harvest potential is yet to be realized. Much higher results are obtained from labour-intensive harvesting: yields of over 5,000 pounds per acre have been reported from Central and South America.

Cooking. Basic recipe: Bring equal volumes of amaranth/quinoa and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed. Amaranth takes about 10-12 minutes and quinoa 12-15 minutes. For a more porridge-like consistency, use a greater proportion of water. Experiment to find the texture you prefer.

Quinoa and amaranth both contain about 16 percent protein, E and B vitamins, calcium, iron and phosphorous. They are easy to digest and have wonderful flavour. Their simple distinctive taste gives them great versatility for cooking purposes. They can be substituted for other grains in many recipes, though they are much more filling. Because they are not true cereal grains, they can be eaten by people who suffer from cereal grain allergies.

Young quinoa and amaranth greens make tasty salad material and are high in vitamins (especially calcium and iron), minerals and protein. Carrots juiced with a small amount of either leaves make a most invigorating drink.

Older greens are wonderful steamed, stir-fried or incorporated into curries or casseroles. Some varieties have better greens than others and are usually so indicated in seed catalogues. One of the tastiest amaranths grown for greens is called Tampala. Amaranth is also called Chinese Spinach because of its popularity as a green vegetable in that country.

Amaranth seed is often ground into flour; it contains more gluten than that of quinoa and combines well with traditional flours in the ratio of one part amaranth to four parts other grains.

Saving Your Own Seed. Amaranth and quinoa cross with their wild relatives, so it is important to weed out red-rooted pigweed and lamb’s-quarters if you want to maintain pure seed. Amaranth cultivars will cross with each other as will quinoa cultivars, so grow only one kind of each or separate cultivars by as much distance as you can. Certain varieties, such as purple-leaved amaranth, are easier to select for than others. Lamb’s-quarters has a greater branching habit than quinoa and smaller flowerheads.

Outlook. Quinoa and amaranth have exciting possibilities for the home gardener looking for hardy, easy-to-grow, high-protein foods. They have higher food quality than our common grains such as wheat and oats, and they don’t have hulls that need to be removed by machinery prior to cooking. Instructions on most commercial packaging to cook these grains for 30 minutes might be hampering their popularization: 15 minutes simmering is long enough to provide soft but non-mushy grain. From my own success with growing amaranth and quinoa over many years, I would say that the difficulties in cultivating and preparing these two grains are relatively minor and that the pleasures obtained in growing and eating them are definitely major.

Salt Spring Seeds‘ Varieties. For both quinoa and amaranth I’ve tried to maintain a good land race mix rather than focussing on varietal differences. This has been because I haven’t noticed significant flavour differences in the cultivars that grow the best here. Multi-hued Quinoa has unique flower tones of mauve, purple, red, orange, green and yellow. They are not flamboyant but have a subtle brilliance: they need to be absorbed for a while, especially in morning or evening light, to be fully appreciated. Amaranth Mix has spectacular flowering heads of purple, red, bronze, gold and green. Purple Amaranth has purple leaves and deep burgundy flowers.

Order Source:- Salt Spring Seeds

Quinoa Varieties. Named varieties of amaranth and quinoa are increasingly available from seed companies. Most North Americans would be hard-pressed to describe the subtle differences in flavour between cultivars. Black-seeded varieties of amaranth stay quite gritty when cooked, so it is best to use these varieties just for their leaves. All the golden and light-colored amaranths I’ve tried are excellent cooked as whole grains and all have delectable greens.

Planting Times For Quinoa. Quinoa grows best where maximum temperatures do not exceed 90°F (32°C) and nighttime temperatures are cool. For most southern Canadian and northern U.S. sites, the best time to plant quinoa is late April to late May. When soil temperatures are around 60°F (15°C) seedlings emerge within three to four days. However, when quinoa seeds are planted in soil with night-time temperatures much above that, quinoa, like spinach, may not germinate. In this instance, it’s best to refrigerate seeds before planting.

Amaranth is a warm season crop that requires full sun. Best germination occurs when soil temperatures range from 65 to 75°F (18-24°C). For southern Canada and the northern U.S., this usually means a late May or early June planting.

Sowing. The small seeds of amaranth and quinoa will germinate more successfully with a finely prepared surface and adequate moisture. Seeds should be sown no more than one-quarter inch deep in rows one and a half- to two-feet (45-60 cm) apart or wide enough to accommodate a rototiller between the rows without damaging the plants. Planting can be done by hand or with a row seeder. Plants should eventually be thinned 6 to 18 inches (15-45 cm) apart. (Thinnings make great additions to salad.)

One gram of seed will sow 50 feet (15 m) of row. An acre requires about one pound of seed.

Maintenance. Quinoa resembles lamb’s-quarters and amaranth resembles red-rooted pigweed, especially in the early stages of growth, so it is best to sow seed in rows to make weeding less confusing. Sowing amaranth cultivars with purple leaves also simplifies weeding. Since seed is small, you can avoid considerable thinning by mixing it with sand or radish seed before sowing, as is sometimes done with carrots. Amaranth and quinoa are low-maintenance crops but weeds, especially at the beginning, should be discouraged by cultivation or mulching.

Soil moisture is probably sufficient until early June to germinate the seed. Given good soil moisture, don’t water until the plants reach the two- or three-leaf stage. Quinoa and amaranth appear slow growing at first but both are extremely drought tolerant and do well on a total of 10 inches (25 cm) of water or less. As the plants reach about one foot in height, they start to grow very rapidly, the canopy closes in, weeds are shaded out and less moisture is lost through evaporation.

You may have noticed occasional lamb’s-quarter or amaranth weeds succumbing to munching by insect larvae in the flowerheads and the same is sometimes true of their cultivated cousins. This won’t have any serious impact on the harvest.

Harvesting. Quinoa is ready to harvest when the leaves have fallen, leaving just the dried seedheads. Seeds can be easily stripped upwards off the stalk with a gloved hand. Quinoa resists light frosts especially if the soil is dry. So long as maturing seed is past the green stage, frost will cause little damage and harvesting can be done a day or two later. Extreme hot weather and warm nights inhibit fruit set. It is important to watch the weather when quinoa is ready to be harvested: if rained on, the dry seed can germinate. If the heads are not completely dry, harvest them when you can barely indent the seeds with your thumbnail. They should then be thoroughly dried before storage.

Part 3 Here
Order Source :- Salt Spring Seeds

There are so many similarities between quinoa (keen’ wah) and amaranth that it seems appropriate to describe them together. Quinoa, however, is a cool weather crop and amaranth is a warm weather one.

Quinoa and amaranth are two very old, high-protein plants that hail from South America. They were held sacred in ancient Inca and Aztec cultures. Both now hold great potential for self-sustaining gardens in the northern hemisphere. They grow as easily as their weedy relatives (pigweed or lamb’s-quarters) and the quality of food they offer far surpasses that of our common grains. Traditional hand-harvesting methods can obtain bounteous harvests.

Quinoa and amaranth are treated as grains although they have broad leaves, unlike the true grains and corn, which are grasses. Their leaves are among the most nutritious of vegetable greens, but it is their fruit that is usually meant when these plants are referred to as “crops.” And that fruit or grain is quite special. The protein content of these two foods has a essential amino acid balance that is near the ideal. They both come closer to meeting the genuine protein requirements of the human body than either cow’s milk or soybeans. They are high in the amino acid lysine, which is lacking in most cereals such as wheat, sorghum, corn and barley.

Both quinoa and amaranth are quite adaptable, disease-free and drought-tolerant plants. They thrive in rich soil—as long as it is well drained—but both will, once established, produce abundant harvests under dry conditions.

The wild relatives of both amaranth and quinoa have long been familiar to North American gardeners and are often called by the same name of pigweed. The pigweed that is related to quinoa is also called lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album), while the ancestor of amaranth is known as red-rooted pigweed or wild amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus). Both pigweeds have the amazing ability to flower and go to seed at any stage of their growth and both will cross with their cultivated progeny. The grower who wants pure strains of either quinoa or amaranth must therefore pay close attention to weeds.

Most cultivars of amaranth and quinoa grow four- to eight-feet high and, when in flower, are majestic plants whose presence emits a special radiance in any garden. Quinoa’s unique flower hues are most striking at a close distance around dawn or dusk, while amaranth’s flamboyant bronze and burgundy tones are dazzling in bright sunshine. Smaller ornamental amaranths such as Love-Lies-Bleeding and Prince’s-Feather have been listed in garden catalogues for hundreds of years.

Part 2 Here

Article Source:- Salt Spring Seeds

One question that often crops up is about the different types of quinoa. Most people are familiar with the standard cream coloured seed type of quinoa. This is still the most common form of quinoa that is sold in supermarkets here in the UK. There are, however, other varieties available as red quinoa and black quinoa. The health food chain sometimes has the red quinoa variety on sale but very rarely. The red quinoa is slightly crunchier and has a bit more of a bitter flavour. I much prefer it to the cream variety but only have it when I can get hold of it.

The other type of quinoa is black quinoa which I have yet to try. I understand from an American supplier that this type is not grown as much because it is harder to grow commercially. I have also heard that the people who grow black quinoa only sell it locally because it is so good.

When cooking each of these types of quinoa there is no difference what ever. You still use 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water and bring to the boils. Then just simmer for 12 – 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed into the quinoa seeds. Of course the different colours add a dynamic look to your meals and the red variety of quinoa certainly looks very attractive on the plate.

By-Products Of Quinoa.

You can now get quinoa flour and quinoa flakes which allow you to bake with quinoa much easier. The flour is quite oily and cannot be used as a like for like replacement for wheat flour. I have produced a few recipes in my quinoa cookbook but I am still experimenting with it. Quinoa flakes can be eaten as a porridge or used in cookie recipes. It works very well in this form and my favourite tray bake tastes stunning – though I say so myself.

More recently I have heard of quinoa powder. I still haven’t seen this in the UK. There are shops selling quinoa bread which is like rye bread. Quinoa is being used as an ingredient in breakfast cereals and snack bars which must mean that it is finally getting recognized as a great versatile food for all occasions.