The Veggie Life: Quinoa

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THE VEGGIE LIFE: To enjoy a noodle-free night, think Incan

 

Deborah Geering - For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, October 20, 2005

 

I have a bad habit. It involves noodles.

 

When I'm feeling too tired or too lazy to cook a real dinner for myself, I break

out a box of pasta and a jar of sauce for an easy vegetarian meal.

 

This wouldn't be a bad thing, except that I feel too lazy to cook several times

a week. The result is that I can put away a lot of pasta.

 

Yes, yes; I'm deeply ashamed, etc. I'm also struck by the thought that if I'm

prone to pasta ruts --- even though I actually like to cook --- then other

vegetarians probably have the same tendencies.

 

There's no reason for it, you know. There are plenty of other foods that are

just as easy to prepare, score just as high on the comfort scale and offer equal

or better nutritional value.

 

One such food is quinoa.

 

That's KEEN-wah, a nifty seed that cooks in about 15 minutes. Its mild, slightly

nutty flavor is similar to rice or even pasta. And it contains a good balance of

all the essential amino acids, qualifying it as a high-quality source of

protein, as well as a good source of potassium and riboflavin.

 

If you're not familiar with quinoa, then clearly you are not Incan. The seed has

been cultivated in the Andes mountains for 5,000 years, and in ancient Incan

civilization it was a staple, along with corn and potatoes.

 

Quinoa looks like millet and is usually cream colored, but it can also be red,

brown or black. You can find it at health food stores and some grocery stores,

usually in the bulk dry-goods bins.

 

When it cooks, the seed turns soft and translucent, while the germ spirals out

into a little crunchy tail. The resulting texture is a bit like pasta cooked al

dente. It can be added to soups and stews, turned into a pilaf or substituted in

just about any other grain recipe.

 

Because it cooks quickly, I try to remember to make it on the occasional

weeknight, instead of pasta. It's great tossed with a little olive oil and a

dash of balsamic vinegar, some fresh spinach leaves (which wilt from the heat of

the cooked quinoa, yum) and some dried cranberries or golden raisins.

 

To prepare quinoa, first rinse it thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve under cold

water to remove any remnants of the seeds' bitter outer coating, called saponin.

Then place it in a pot with twice as much water as you have quinoa and bring to

a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is

absorbed. To enhance the flavor, you can toast the seeds in the dry saucepan

before adding the water.

 

Because the first hint of cool evenings always puts me in the mood for soups and

stews, I've included a quinoa soup recipe from my all-time favorite vegetarian

chef, Deborah Madison. I've already made this soup once this fall, and it was so

good, I moved my tub of quinoa right next to the box of pasta in my cupboard.

That way, when I'm in even my laziest of moods, it won't be any trouble at all

to reach for the quinoa.

 

 

Quinoa Chowder With Spinach, Feta and Green Onions

4 servings

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

 

Because it doesn't start with a stock, this soup is extremely easy to prepare

--- and incredibly tasty. Serve it with a bottle of hot sauce on the side.

 

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 bunch green onions, including 1 inch of the greens, thinly sliced, divided

3 cups sliced spinach leaves

1/4 pound feta cheese, finely diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground pepper

1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

 

Put the quinoa and 2 quarts water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower

the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. While it's cooking, dice the jalapeno,

potatoes, green onions, spinach and cheese. Drain the quinoa, reserving the

liquid. Measure the liquid and add water to make 6 cups, if needed. Set the

liquid and the quinoa aside.

 

Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno. Cook for

about 30 seconds, giving it a quick stir. Add the cumin, salt and the potatoes

and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let the garlic brown. Add

the quinoa water and half the green onions and simmer until the potatoes are

tender, about 15 minutes. Add the quinoa, spinach and remaining onions and

simmer for 3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and stir in the feta and cilantro.

Season the soup with pepper, and garnish with the chopped egg.

 

--- From " Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone " by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books,

$40)

 

Per serving: 332 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 12 grams protein,

36 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 72

milligrams cholesterol, 365 milligrams sodium.