Have you ever heard of it? Well, it is our family's new favorite side dish and is a great alternative to rice, pasta, and couscous. My husband has had to make some significant dietary changes lately due to some health issues and we were very excited to find Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) at our local Costco. We were hesitant to buy this highly nutritious, gluten free seed because of the price, about $9.50 for a 4 pound bag. (The are 42 1/4 cup dry servings per bag making it about $0.22/serving). But after trying it for the first time back in January, we are hooked. We are big fans of this yummy stuff. Yes, you can probably get a 1 pound bag of non-instant brown rice (instant stuff is quite a bit more) at Walmart for about $1.50 (about 7 cents a serving), but it probably doesn't expand as much as this Quinoa does nor can you say that it is a great source of protein (5.5 grams per 1/4 dry serving), contains all 8 amino acids which is very good for you vegetarians out there, fiber, B vitamins, and iron (18%). I couldn't believe how much the one cup expanded the first time I made it. I made it into a pilaf with some veggies and walnuts and there was probably enough to serve 6 adults a nice size serving. You get a lot of bang for your buck! It is well worth the investment for a healthier alternative to rice and such. And the taste....so good! It is very filling and has a "nutty" kind of flavor. My husband actually frowns now when I make rice instead of Quinoa. You can serve it as a side dish with veggies, with soup, add it to chili, and mix up for a filling for your burritos and tacos. I am so excited to say that I actually have made up my own recipe for Black Bean and Quinoa Burritos that I will be sharing soon. Have you ever heard of Quinoa? Do you like it?
this looks really interesting...we may have to give it a try!
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