I had read about quinoa quite
some time ago. It was referred to as the Gold of the Andes for its nutritional
value as it is high in protein. This seems to be confirmed by Wikipedia: Quinoa (the name is derived from the Spanish spelling of the Quecha name kinwa) originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, where it was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for
human consumption... Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and acceptable quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and
iron.
Interestingly, 2013 was declared the International Year of Quinoa by the
United Nations General Assembly in recognition of the Andean people who have
preserved it as a food for present and
future generations, through knowledge and practices of living in harmony with
nature.
And then I found it at the O
Clinic (Jl. Prapanca Raya No.20, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta) where I go once a
month for acupuncture treatment. And while I have your attention, Dr Sisilia is
a very accomplished acupuncturist and medical herbalist. Instructions on how to
prepare quinoa were included, together with a few recipe suggestions.
I tried mixing quinoa with rice,
which was not bad, but a bit bland. What I do, however, recommend is to mix
quinoa into mashed potatoes. This is the way I made it.
Ingredients:
4-5 medium
sized potatoes
1 cup of quinoa
3-5 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped small
1/2 cup of sour cream, or, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of paprika powder
salt to taste
1 cup of quinoa
3-5 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped small
1/2 cup of sour cream, or, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of paprika powder
salt to taste
Directions:
1 Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil till done.
And at the same time...
2 Boil the quinoa for 10 to 15 minutes in 2 cups of water (plus a little bit to avoid crusting at the bottom of the pan). The quinoa should be soft when done.
3 Mash the potatoes to the desired consistency and add the garlic and the sour cream (or olive oil) and paprika powder.
4 Add the quinoa, mix well, and salt to taste.
2 Boil the quinoa for 10 to 15 minutes in 2 cups of water (plus a little bit to avoid crusting at the bottom of the pan). The quinoa should be soft when done.
3 Mash the potatoes to the desired consistency and add the garlic and the sour cream (or olive oil) and paprika powder.
4 Add the quinoa, mix well, and salt to taste.
