Quinoa is a relative product in the Russian market and many have heard of it at all. It is an annual cereal that grows in the highlands of South America. Bolivia is the main supplier of quinoa.
The Indians of South America have been consuming this cereal throughout its history; in Europe it became popular several years ago, when nutritionists discovered a huge amount of vegetable protein and vitamins in it. The popularity of quinoa in Russia is also gaining momentum, and this cereal can be purchased in many supermarkets.
Some nutritionists compare quinoa with mother’s milk, it contains so many useful elements. In terms of plant protein content, no other grains can compare with it, so quinoa is recommended for children, athletes, pregnant women and anyone who practices a healthy diet.
Quinoa contains a complete vitamin and mineral complex that a person needs: vitamins A, B, C, E, zinc, potassium, manganese, iron, fiber, folic acid, etc.
Quinoa is added to soup, served as a side dish, and vegetable and meat stews are prepared from it. It is used to make flour, from which bread and pasta are made. You can also make a drink from it that perfectly quenches your thirst.
Before cooking quinoa, rinse it thoroughly, as the grits can have a bitter taste. The consistency of finished quinoa resembles caviar.
Are you interested in this product? Here are some recipes from it.
Warm seafood quinoa salad
Quinoa is often used as an ingredient in various salads; the taste of this cereal gives them an interesting taste.
Ingredients:
- Quinoa – 200 gr.
- Seafood (shrimp, squid, scallops) – 200 gr.
- Broccoli – several inflorescences
- Green peas – 1 handful
- Soy sauce to taste
- Salt – to taste
- Olive oil to taste
- Lime juice to taste
Quinoa should be rinsed well under running cold water. Place in a saucepan and cover with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. Cook for 15 minutes until the water is completely absorbed.
Blanch broccoli and green peas for 3 minutes.
Seafood, if frozen, then defrost and fry in olive oil on both sides.
Mix all ingredients, season with salt, soy sauce and lime juice. The salad is ready to serve warm.
Vegetable Quinoa Soup
Quinoa is a great dressing for soups, here’s a soup recipe that you can whip up using whatever comes in the fridge. But for experiment, you can add quinoa to other soups, instead of noodles or potatoes.
Ingredients:
- Quinoa – 1/4 cup
- Carrots – 1 pieces.
- Celery – 1 stalk
- Onions – 1/2 pc.
- Bulgarian pepper – 1/2 pc.
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Tomato – 1 pcs.
- Cabbage – 1/2 cup
- Parsley to taste
- Salt – to taste
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoons
Wash vegetables and cut into cubes or strips as you like. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water.
Fry the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and quinoa in olive oil until the cereal is golden brown.
Put the fried vegetables and cereals in a saucepan, pour four glasses of water, add tomatoes and cabbage. After the soup has boiled, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. The soup is ready when all the vegetables and cereals are soft.
Season with salt and spices to taste. Serve the soup with finely chopped parsley.
Quinoa with mushrooms and vegetables
Quinoa is an excellent substitute for meat in terms of protein content, which is why this cereal occupies a leading position in the preparation of vegetarian dishes.
Ingredients:
- Quinoa – 200 gr.
- Bulgarian pepper – 1 pc.
- Fresh champignons – 5-7 pcs.
- Green peas – 1 handful
- Parsley to taste
- Salt – to taste
- Spices – to taste
- Olive oil to taste
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, add 1/3 of water and cook for 15 minutes, until the cereal becomes soft. Then drain the remaining water.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the mushrooms and peppers for 5 minutes, add the peas to them and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add quinoa to mushrooms and peppers, season with salt and spices and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve garnished with parsley.
Quinoa cookies
This dessert can be eaten by everyone, even girls who are on a diet.
Ingredients:
- Quinoa – 100 gr.
- Milk – 200 ml.
- Walnuts – 1/2 cup
- Oatmeal (or any other) – 1/2 cup
- Flour – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 2 st. l.
- Butter – 50 gr.
- Egg – 1 pcs.
- Sesame or raisins – for decoration
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water. Pour it into hot milk and cook until tender.
Grind walnuts.
In a separate bowl, mix the flakes, flour, nuts, dried fruits with soft butter. You should get a thick dough with a uniform structure.
Drain the quinoa milk and add the boiled cereal to the dough.
Beat the egg and add it to the dough. We knead everything thoroughly, the dough should be very thick, if in your opinion it is a little liquid, then add a little flour.
Put the finished dough in the refrigerator for an hour.
An hour later, we take out the dough and form free-form cookies from it, put them on baking paper, decorate with raisins or sesame seeds and put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
The cookie is ready Bon Appetit.
There are a lot of recipes for making quinoa, you can find them on the pages of our site. Get to know this product better, it is greatly underestimated in our country, the UN declared 2013 the year of quinoa, so don’t miss out on this useful product.