quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is an ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the incas". native to south america, quinoa however is not actually a grain, it is the seed of a plant type called a chenopod, and is closely related to species such as beets and spinach, and chard. quinoa's nutritional value is hard to beat. it is high in complete protein, which means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids making it a well balanced source of protein, and ideal for people on a vegan diet looking for adequate protein intake. quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, and it is high in magnesium and iron. the best part is that quinoa is gluten free!
I normally buy the Ancient Harvest brand of quinoa, but the last time I was shopping at Greens Organic & Natural Market I came across another brand of quinoa called Alter Eco Fair Trade. each brand has it's own cooking recommendations, ie water to quinoa ratio. Ancient Harvest recommends a ratio of 2:1 water to quinoa, and Alter Eco suggests a cooking ratio of 1 1/2:1 water to quinoa. since I was always using the Ancient Harvest brand before I used their recommended 2:1 ratio, and found that making perfect quinoa was hit and miss. sometimes it burnt on the bottom of the saucepan and got stuck, and sometimes is was too mushy, and occasionally it turned out ok. but I hated it when it burnt and I had to scrape so much of it off the pan and throw it away. if you are already a quinoa consumer then you know it isn't cheap!
what I learned from reading Susan O'Brien's quinoa tabbouleh recipe is that she recommends a ratio of 1:1, for this recipe at least, and it turned out perfectly! actually she doesn't recommend water for the quinoa tabbouleh, she recommends cooking the quinoa in a cup of vegetable broth, Pacific Natural Foods organic vegetable broth is gluten free. not only does the quinoa cook perfectly, but it also has a wonderful flavour to it. if you are not familiar with tabbouleh, it is a very popular middle eastern salad, also a Lebanese main dish, made with bulgur wheat, lots of parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint, and other seasonings like lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil. quinoa is an excellent alternative to bulgur wheat, and it tastes great too. in fact, since our Lebanese friend introduced us to tabbouleh years ago, our family has become experts in tabbouleh preparation and taste, and when I made this quinoa recipe, even they raved about it! now that we have a gluten free alternative, Robyn and I can enjoy this great nutritious salad with our family once again.
this is the recipe that I adapted from O'Brien's book based on what I had at home, and in the garden at the time.
the salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup gluten free vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated carrots (I love this grater)
1 stalk of celery, chopped (organic is best, read why here)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup/ large bunch parsley finely chopped
the dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil (I used grapeseed oil)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (I used orange mint since it's what I have in my herb garden)
salt & pepper to taste (I didn't use salt or pepper)
directions:
prepare the salad dressing first. in a small bowl combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, and mint. next rinse the quinoa and put in a saucepan with the vegetable broth. bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer on low for for about twelve minutes. make sure all the broth is absorbed, then remove from heat and let cool. in a large salad bowl combine the carrots, celery, tomatoes, and cucumber, then add the quinoa and the parsley. once everything is combined, add the dressing and toss well. you can season with salt and pepper.
this recipe serves eight. if your family is small, tabbouleh keeps well in the fridge for a few days, so you can easily enjoy this for dinner, and lunch and dinner again! double the recipe for your next gluten free potluck! enjoy your summer, and stay cool with this refreshing salad. Andrea.
get the book | susan o'brien | benefits of parsely | benefits of quinoa
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