Quinoa And...

I am noticing that a lot of our meals, particularly the ones that I throw together from whatever I have on hand in the fridge, are Quinoa And Something. I love quinoa - easy, versatile, yummy and packed with protein (listen to me, you'd think I work for the Quinoa Growers Association or something!). I also like watching it cook, and seeing the germ separate from the seed. And it can be sprouted - I am currently working on developing a recipe for Sprouted Quinoa Bread, which is turning out pretty well so far. From a local foods perspective it leaves something to be desired, as it does not grow easily in North America and is primarily cultivated in the warmer high-altitude climes of Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. Even so, pound for pound I think it's a good choice.

Yesterday we ad Quinoa and Chard for dinner - yum! I sauteed one chopped onion with some garlic in canola oil, and then added finely chopped chard once the onions were soft. I cooked that for awhile, until the chard was wilted, and then added about two or three cups cooked quinoa, salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar to counteract some of the bitterness of the chard. It warms a mother's heart to see her kids devouring leafy greens without complaint!

PS - Can you believe that Blogger doesn't have quinoa in their spell check dictionary???