Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
1 large carrot
1 sweet pepper
½ cup sweetcorn
8 small radishes
Low fat Mayonnaise or Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Dress

Method

Firstly rinse the quinoa under a tap to ensure the saponin coating is completely removed. Some times this will not be needed as it comes pre rinsed. If it foams under a tap then you need to rinse the foam off. If you do not then the salad will taste slightly bitter. Then boil it in the water for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Allow it to cool for an hour.
Slice or grate the carrot
Rinse the sweetcorn seeds
Chop or slice the sweet pepper
Chop up the radishes

Now mix in all the ingredients with the cooled quinoa and add your preferred dressing. If you are serving your salad immediately then the dressing is optional. You will find that it keeps better in the fridge if you use a salad dressing of some kind. So you can make double and use it over 2 days.

You can serve your salad with meat slices or simply eat it on its own. As it is a complete protein it makes a completely nutritious meal on its own. I nearly always place the quinoa salad on a bed of salad leaves or raw spinach. You can also top it with a sprinkling of raw quinoa sprouts making it doubly nutritious.

This is just one example of a gluten free quinoa salad. What you can do is make it up with your own choice of gluten free salad vegetables. You can also use seeds and legumes such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chick peas, haricot beans and freshly shucked garden peas. I also use walnuts and almonds but for people on a gluten free diet these can sometimes be a trigger for other allergies. You will know what you can eat and sort out your salad ingredients accordingly.

Either way I hope I have shown you how easy it is to knock up a gluten free salad using quinoa in a few minutes that is good for your health

Some brands will already be pre washed and not need the rinsing process. If it needs rinsing you will see a light foam appear when you rinse it. You then bring the quinoa to the boil and then simmer it for 10 – 15 minutes. If you want it firm and crunchy then only boil it for ten minutes. If you want it soft and fluffy then cook it for fifteen minutes. After you have done this a few times you will get to know how you like it.

As well as boiling it in plain water you can use vegetable stock or meat stock to boil it in. This will infuse the quinoa with the stock flavour. Some people also add olive oil to the water. You can also add any herb or spice you want to experiment with. What ever you add will add this flavour to the grains you are cooking. This is good when you are using it as a plain meal accompaniment as it gives it a bit of flavour without overpowering it.

You can also cook quinoa in a microwave oven although this is no quicker than the standard method and it does take more watching than boiling.

If you are making a soup, risotto or a casserole then you do not need to prepare quinoa in this way. You can simply add it to the other ingredients and it will bulk up during the cooking process. You may need to add some more liquid because quinoa absorbs a lot of the moisture in the recipe. It will also slightly thicken the recipes which means you can reduce the amount of cornflower or other thickening agents you might be using. Your meals will feel much more satisfying and filling and you will feel fuller for longer because quinoa is a complex carbohydrate.

You can add the seeds into cakes, cookies and scone recipes. It has to be prepared using the boiling method described above. You can also make them into a breakfast style porridge and add fruit to give it a more interesting flavour.

As well as being eaten by our space travellers it is now part of NASA food programme for growing crops in space. As part of this elite group of super foods quinoa is at last getting the recognition it deserves. NASA is looking into which foods we have here on earth will be the most beneficial from the point of view if how easy it is to grow. They also need all the foods in the research programme to be highly nutritious.

There is no time to waste on plants and foods that do not deliver in terms of vitamins and minerals. So I was very pleased to discover that quinoa has made into this elite group of foods. It gives a higher profile to a seed that everyone in the world should be eating as part of their daily food intake.

Why Quinoa Works In Space

There are a number of reasons that make quinoa a good food for Astronauts. The first rather mundane one is that it stores easily. You do not need a fridge. You do not even need an airtight container for durations of up to a month. It is so easy to store and take out the amount you need when you need it. Because it is a complete protein it is much better than trying to eat meat or meat substitutes in space. It contains all 9 essential amino acids making it the only seed or grain that is a complete protein.

Another reason for its suitability in space is because it is a complex carbohydrate. Without getting too technical this means that all the goodness in the vitamins and minerals are released into your body and bloodstream slowly over time. So you do not have to eat so often and you do not get as hungry.

Quinoa basically gives you the feeling of being well fed over a long period of time. The slow release carbohydrates also mean that you do not get a sugar rush which can lead to food cravings. It must be pretty bad to have a food craving in space. Where could you go to find something to solve your craving?

If quinoa is so good for the astronauts you owe it to yourself to find out more about it and learn how it can revolutionise your diet and eating habits.

There are some quite incredible claims that imbalance can make the difference to our emotional highs and lows as well as our physical health. It brings a whole new meaning to ideas that what we eat or drink affects who we are and who we become…

Apparently, it is to do with the way our bodies process foods and drinks that we have on a day to day basis. They are digested and converted into energy and used by our bodies. Most energies are passed around our bodies by our blood system and this is the important bit. Our blood PH level needs to be slightly alkaline (7.35 to 7.45). If it drops below 7 (which is neutral) then it becomes acidic (low in Oxygen) and we are exposed to symptoms and disease. It makes us more prone to stress and we find it harder to lose weight and stay positive and healthy. Our bodies will do everything they can to maintain a healthy PH level but that can lead to problems as it tries to get rid of the extra Acid as best it can.

Unfortunately, our modern western diet is mostly made up of acid forming foods (proteins, cereals, and sugars) rather than the alkaline range of foods (vegetables, etc). We obviously need protein but we need to balance them with alkaline foods so that we get the best nutritional benefit from them. Interestingly, stimulants like coffee, tea, alcohol and tobacco are very acidic. Even Stress and too little or too much physical activity can add to the acidic problems too.

We really need to look at our day to day intake and try to move more towards alkaline foods and drinks. There is a big move to “home-cooking” but also a more practical approach that we consider easier and quicker methods of food preparation. Gone are the days when we had hours if not days to prepare foods for us and our families to consume. We need to update our methods of cooking, our range of food choices and spend our time economically in the kitchen. Stir fries are very quick and nutritious as are some home made biscuits and cakes. This means looking at the health benefits of foods such as Quinoa which is a grain/seed that is a complete protein, has all the amino acids, has iron, has fibre, and can be cooked in all sorts of ways as seen in The Quinoa Cookbook.

We’ve had various changes in our working world with improved methods of manufacture and business ideas. Perhaps the next major development needs to be sharing our different ways of cooking wholesome foods. We’ve had the re-discovery of Vitamins, Fibre, re-ducing salt, perhaps we should look at food as a friend to use wisely and help ward off many of our modern ailments like depression, stress, diabetes, obesity, etc.

Quinoa is a brilliant food. It is versatile and can be used in soups, salads, to thicken stir-fries, an option to rice, in fact there does not seem to be a limit to this very versatile food. It’s origins are the West Andes Mountains of South America, but it is destined for world wide use.

It is like a seed but like a grain too. It is not a grass and so avoids the allergic connections of grass. It is rinsed in water and cooked in a similar way to rice but not for so long. It is quite easy to cook and can be seen demonstrated on u-tube. Even the leaves can be used on salads or cooked like spinach.

It has another benefit in that it is an alkaline food. This means that it helps the blood to keep a healthy PH level. This is essential for good health.

The PH level of blood is important as the more alkaline the easier our bodies find it to absorb all the vitamins and nutrients in our food. It also helps the body to function well and avoid illnesses. Another benefit is that it helps the body to maintain a good weight. It is even a key to loosing weight as if the blood ph level is too acidic (i.e. below 7 and lacking in oxygen) then it struggles to lose weight and control our stress levels. With regard to the sugar levels in the body as it is what is known as a slow release food, which means we don’t have the “sugar fix” that some foods have and we maintain a more even energy and stamina level.

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.

Its the same quinoa flakes recipe I wrote about last week but I know many people like the visual presentations more.

I’m currently updating The Quinoa Cookbook to add some new recipes and get rid of the typos that I have noticed. As I have said before, Quinoa is being discovered by more and more people daily and they are learning the benefits of quinoa themselves.
The Quinoa Cookbook: Over 70 Great Quinoa Recipes

Packet of Quinoa Flakes

The combination of flavours is fantastic. A batch of 24 quinoa flakes bars like this only lasts a couple of days in our house.

In the UK I can only buy my quinoa flakes online. The infinity foods brand shown in the picture was bought from Baldwins.co.uk

Ingredients.

1  cup (150gm) Mixed dried fruit

Juice from one large orange

5 drops vanilla Essence

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups (250gm) Quinoa Flakes

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup brown or demerera sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs.

Method

To make this recipe you make a dry mix with some of the ingredients and a liquid mix with the rest of them. At the end you combine them together.

1. Soak the dried fruit in the orange juice and vanilla essence for an hour.

Soaking Dried Fruit in Orange Juice and Vanilla Essence

2. After an hour you can then start preparing the dry mix.

3. Melt the butter gently on the hob until it has melted. Then switch the heat off.

Melting The Butter

4. Add the chopped walnuts to the butter.

Add Chopped Walnuts To Butter

5. Then add the quinoa flakes and mix together thoroughly so that everything is blended together evenly.

Mixing in the Quinoa Flakes

6. Take this mix and put it into a mixing bowl. Add in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix well for a minute or so.

Add The Sugar, salt and cinnamon

7. Leave this mix to one side and return to the fruit mix. Add the 2 eggs to the fruit and mix together well.

Add Eggs To Fruit

8. Put the 2 mixes together in the mixing bowl and combine them completely together.

Combine Quinoa Flakes Mix With The Fruit Mix

9. Press the mixture into a well greased baking tin. Make sure the mix has an even depth in the baking tin.

Quinoa Cookies Ready For The Oven

10. Cook the quinoa cookies for 15 minutes on a medium heat (I use 170 degrees) until they start to turn brown. Do not over cook them.

11. Take out the cookies and cut them into squares. Cool them on a cooling rack. The are ready to eat as soon as they are cool.

Quinoa Flakes Fuit and Nut Bar

Ingredients

Waldorf Salad Ingredients

1/2 cup of red quinoa (3 oz approx)
1 cup of water (6 fl oz Approx)
Handful of grapes seedless
15 walnuts chopped
Juice of one Lemon
2 sticks of celery chopped
I Eating Apple – I use Red Empire
Green Salad To serve with

Dressing Ingredients – Either 5 Tablespoons of Low Fat Mayonaise OR

I ripe Avocado
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Oil
I Garlic Clove Crushed
Juice of one Lemon

Italian Pan Fried Chicken Ingredients

1 Chicken breast sliced into small strips
I garlic clove Crushed
Handfull of fresh Basil leaves
1 large Ripe tomato pureed
Small amount of olive oil for the pan

Method

1 1/2 Hours before serving the meal prepare the Quinoa. Rinse the Quinoa Well and put into a saucepan with the water. Bring the quinoa to the boil and simmer for 12 minutes. The quinoa will absorb all the water.
Cool for 1/2 an hour.

If you are making your own dressing simply place all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute.

When the quinoa has cooled mix it together with all the Waldorf Salad Ingredients. Then add the dressing and mix in thoroughly so that the dressing covers everything.
Put the Salad in a cool place for 20 minutes while you prepare the chicken. The 20 minutes will allow all the flavours to fuse togehter in the salad.

To cook the chicken start by warming the olive oil gently in the pan. Place the chicken strips in the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flavouring ingredients and mix together in the pan. Bring the italian chicken mix to almost boiling and then simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Serve the Red Quinoa Waldorf Salad With the Italian on a bed of green salad leaves.