The nutritional benefits of incorporating quinoa into your meals and three dish ideas that include it

Quinoa or quinoa, depending on who names it, has its origin in the word kinwa or kinuwa, from Quechua. The cultivation of this seed, which is usually classified as a whole grain, became popular among the pre-Hispanic peoples of the Andean mountain range of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. Although currently other countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, the United States, France, England, Sweden, Holland, Kenya and India have joined it as large producers.

Quinoa, which contains all the essential amino acidsis classified as a “superfood.” According to the United Nations Food Safety Organization (FAO), we are faced with “a natural resource of high nutritional and dietary value.” But its importance also lies “in its genetic diversity and capacity for adaptation.”

The tiny grains of quinoa contain a multitude of nutritional benefits. They contain a high percentage of proteins, all the essential amino acids and carbohydrates of higher nutritional quality than cereals such as rice, corn, wheat or oats. Quinoa, in fact, is said to be a pseudocereal, full of vegetable proteins, very easily digestible and very versatile:

Red, white and black quinoa

There are three types of quinoa seeds: white, red and black. The most notable difference is in their pigments. The most popular and easiest to find on the market is golden quinoa, which is white in color. It has a very soft flavor and texture once cooked. It is very versatile and serves as an excellent base for salads or some dishes traditionally made with rice.

The red one contains a greater amount of protein. The aroma and flavor are stronger than those of white quinoa and it needs a little more time to cook. It is very delicious in salads with nuts and some fruits such as mango, apple or strawberries.

Of all of them, the one with the most intense flavor—some compare it to that of the earth—is the black one. If you want to try it and incorporate it into a dish, try mixing it with oats in a porridge (porridge) for breakfast or snack; mixing the creaminess of oats with the crunchy touch of black quinoa.

Some brands that work with this pseudocereal sell quinoa packages in which they mix the three types of this food, a very interesting option to include all its properties, types of flavors and textures in your recipes.

Three quinoa dishes

Don’t let quinoa fool you, it serves as the base for many recipes. It is very interesting in salads, and also hot dishes in which we can combine vegetables with seafood, meats or other vegetable proteins such as seitan or tofu. But we can also make a delicious sweet quinoa cream or even gluten-free bread. The options are endless.

The first thing we are going to do before cooking the quinoa is to clean it well with water to eliminate some antinutrients such as saponins, which also give it a bitter flavor. To cook it, double the amount of water is always used than grain. Quinoa is best cooked over low heat and we will know it is ready when it has doubled in volume. If you want to give it a more toasted flavor, you can roast the quinoa a little as a preliminary step before cooking it.

Quinoa and chickpea curry

With quinoa there are thousands of exquisite combinations to make a super rich and nutritious salad, but let’s go for three warm dishes that fit the body much better now that it’s starting to get colder. For this chickpea curry we are going to need few ingredients and we are going to prepare it in the blink of an eye. We will use between 50 and 60 grams of already cooked chickpeas, 80 grams of quinoa, a handful of mushrooms, a clove of garlic, curry, pepper and, although the dish is already very complete, the protein of your choice. We recommend some chicken tacos, some prawns or some tofu cubes. You can have the quinoa already cooked in the refrigerator.

The only thing we are going to do is sauté the garlic with the mushrooms and the protein that we have chosen. Then we will add the quinoa and chickpeas, along with the curry and pepper. You can drink it like this, but it is advisable to add a little coconut milk to cook, this way it will give it greater creaminess and a special touch with a very characteristic flavor.

Quinoa and vegetable soup

This is also a very healthy, light and comforting option. You can use the vegetables you like the most, or those you have in your refrigerator drawer. We recommend using a little onion for the sauce, to which you can add carrots cut into small pieces, red pepper, celery, chopped ripe tomatoes, some type of cabbage and a handful of spinach. We will add the vegetables depending on the cooking time they need. Once well poached, we only have to add the already cooked quinoa and vegetable broth. To complete it, you can also use canned white beans. And the spices that you like the most, or a spoonful of fermented miso paste, which will give it a saltier flavor with Asian touches.

Quinoa cream with blueberries and walnuts

To finish we tell you a sweet recipe with quinoa. We are going to make it with 100 grams of quinoa, cow’s milk or some vegetable -according to your preferences-, a cinnamon stick, a little lemon or orange peel, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar (optional), a handful of blueberries and another of walnuts.

To cook the quinoa, we will use two measures of milk (350 ml) or vegetable drink for one of water (175 ml), and we will cook it with the cinnamon stick and the citrus peel that we have chosen. We will need at least 20 minutes. Once ready, we plate it and add the blueberries and walnuts. Although you can use other accessories such as sesame or chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, sliced ​​apple or banana, cocoa powder or other ingredients that you like and feel like at that moment.