Tag: quinoa

Kaniwa, The New Super “Grain”

Kaniwa is a new (old, ancient) grain (technically it’s a seed). I discovered it a few days ago, at the bulk section in Whole Foods Market.

Kaniwa is very similar to quinoa, but it offers more protein and fiber PLUS there’s no need to rinse before cooking like quinoa. Talk about a perfect food!

So I’ve been searching for brands, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot out there. Only two that are readily available to me: Roland (from Amazon) and Laurel Hill (from WF bulk) and neither is organic.

I was so ready to try it, but until I find an organic option or learn more about kaniwa growing practices (ie pesticides, sustainability), I’ll probably have to wait until this little powerhouse grain becomes more mainstream, like quinoa.

Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes, Feta, Apples & Almonds

UPDATED 2011-06-22:

I just made this quinoa salad for a reunion dinner tonight.

quinoa salad with tomatoes, feta, apples and almonds

Quinoa is a very small grain, actually it’s technically not even a grain, it’s a seed, but it’s always lumped into the hearty whole grain category. It’s gluten free and fairly quick to make. It smells earthy when cooking.

uncooked quinoa seeds

I found excellent cooking instructions for quinoa in the Lorna Sass book “Whole Grains Every Day Every Way“. Cook quinoa similar to how you cook pasta: use a large portion of boiling water and then drain.

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Meatless Monday – Quinoa Pasta with Tomato Puttanesca Sauce

Meatless Monday - quinoa pasta with tomato puttanesca sauce

We went meatless tonight (with a little bit of dairy) by eating a satisfying plate of quinoa pasta topped with tomato puttanesca sauce. I included some lovely kousa squash in the sauce, which was part of our CSA vegetable share this week. It’s a summer squash similar to zucchini.

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