Katie’s Healthy Bites: Cooking with Quinoa
Most folks call quinoa (pronounced “keen-whah”) a grain, but it’s actually a seed — one that originated thousands of years ago in the Andes Mountains. Dubbed “the gold of the Incas,” it’s treasured because of it’s nutritive value (more protein than any other grain or seed!). I love it for its yummy nutty flavor.
Why You Should Try It
As I said, quinoa actually has more protein than any other grain or seed and offers a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids our bodies can’t make on their own. It’s also a great source of calcium and is high in lysine, the B vitamins and iron. Better still, the seed is easy to digest and gluten free.
The Different Kinds
You’ll usually find quinoa in its tan or yellow form — though it comes in many colors: orange, red, pink, purple and black. Look for any color quinoa in your local health food stores; they all work — and taste — great in dishes. I always stock up in bulk to keep costs down. Stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, quinoa keeps for several months.
How to Cook Quinoa
It may seem foreign but cooking quinoa is simple. First, I always rinse the quinoa. It has a natural soapy coating that helps protects the seed from pests but there’s no need to eat it. To clean, just place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water for a minute or two.
Next is the cooking. Use one part quinoa to two parts liquid. Plain water works fine, but I like experimenting with a vegetable or chicken broth for extra low-calorie flavoring. Place both the quinoa and the liquid in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let the seeds cook for 10 to 15 minutes — or until the water is absorbed, the seed is translucent and the germ is partially detached (it will look like a little feather or spiral).
When cooked, quinoa has a crunchy, nutty flavor. It works great in savory side salads, mixed into veggie burgers and more. I also love it as a hot breakfast cereal — just pour in some cow, soy or almond milk and add chopped nuts for a crunchy topping.
Here’s one of my favorite, easy dishes:
Quinoa Summer Salad
Servings: 8
4 cups cooked quinoa* (or whole-grain couscous if you can’t find quinoa)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup bell peppers (use red, orange or yellow), chopped
1 cup cucumber (leave skin on for green color), chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Juice of one lime (zest is optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro), chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve. That’s it!
Nutrition Info: 110 calories; Fat: 2.8 grams; Saturated Fat: .4 grams; Protein: 4.5 grams; Carbohydrates: 17 grams; Cholesterol: .04 milligrams; Sodium: 71 milligrams; Fiber: 2 grams
Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, owns HealthyBites, LLC and is a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, which airs Sundays on Food Network.
[Photo courtesy of Letinelle / Flickr]
Check out my fun quinoa recipe on tonight's episode of NFNS! Its Rachel Ray week! You can watch the full RR show cooking demo here! http://www.examiner.com/x-14345-Celebrity-Chef-Ex...
Katie! all of your posts are great and i love watching you on NFNS! its so nice to have someone on the show that is into healthy cooking like i am! good luck im pulling for you and thanks for the info about quinoa i always wondered about it!
I agree with K.B. This nation has got to get on board with eating healthy…and knowing that eating healthy can also be delicious is definitely MORE then half the battle. Its great to see you talk about that on National television. Keep it up. Love watching you.
Thanks so much for the support! I am so passionate about what I do and sharing my love for food with others!
this looks interesting
What a great sounding recipe! I recently discovered quinoa as nutrition to help me on endurance bike rides. It seems to be working. Plus, it tastes great for breakfast … mixed with yogurt and pearl barley.
Love Katies recipes in newsletter. Was so sorry to see her go Sunday. I am getting tired of watching the Food Network Hosts getting larger every year. Makes you afraid to eat their food.
Katie gave me hope that you would choose someone who was interested in healthful recipes.
Gloom, doom and despair.
Katie, love your website and your recipes. I am going to whip up something with quinoa tonight. Can you give us some suggestions for wheatberries? Thanks again!!
Hey Cari, check out this past post we did on wheat berries — it includes nutrition info and recipes to try. Enjoy!
More quinoa recipes please-or a good web site please-especially looking for some "sweet" ideas- i have mixed with dried fruits but still use oil and vinegar and wondering if ther isn't more to do with it?
Hi Katie, __I was also cheering and blogging for you. I think you would have a great show. I thought each challenge was more bizarre than the next and not indicative of how someone's show would be perceived. I don't think any of the current FN stars could pass any of the challenges.__ All the best in your new life, Mrs. Boyle. Jill, Tharon, Kevin and others all support you and look forward to seeing you in your undoubtedly wonderful future endeavors.__ Have you ever been to or seen this website for Alice Waters. It's beautiful and so inspiring, http://www.chezpanisse.com/pgalice.html (Mary, RD@CHH-Philly)
Hi Katie! I'm from upstate pa and loved what you tried to do onFNS – was pulling for you all the way! We try to eat healthy – my very thin 17 year old daughter and husband have very high cholestrol – both can keep it down by eating smaller, more frequent meals. Looking forward to hearing more about you and good healthy tips in the future! Good Luck!
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It sounds great will try it out! love quinua I am originaly from Bolivia ,south America and we grow quinua there ,so I grew up with it and made in many many ways ! I am glad people are starting to understand its properties and realize how healthy it is for you!
I TRIED QUINOA THIS WEEK AND WE LIKED A LOT IWOULD LIKE TOSEE MORE RECIPES