Quinoa was recently considered an unprecedented guest on the table of Russians. But today it is sold in every supermarket. If you are tired of buckwheat, rice and millet, then it's time to diversify the menu. Different methods of making quinoa make this cereal a universal option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Description
Quinoa is an annual pseudo-grain crop. The plant reaches 2 meters in height. It has a branched stem and round leaves, similar to the legs of a goose. It is not cultivated in Russia, and therefore has not been used for food for a long time.
Quinoa fruits are similar to buckwheat, they are gathered in clusters, curl along the stem and are considered fruits. Quinoa grains are found in beige, red or black. For a long time, only Indians were engaged in the cultivation of this plant. The Incas gave it the name "divine seed", emphasizing its exceptional benefits to the body. It’s worth exploring ways to make quinoa, if only for this.
Beneficial features
This cereal contains a large amount of easily digestible protein, vitamins A and groups B, C and D, as well as many useful trace elements and amino acids. Another advantage of quinoa is that it grows in the highlands of Chile and Peru, where it is forbidden to expose plants to gene modification.
The abundance of vitamins and minerals makes rice quinoa indispensable for people with problems of the nervous system, bone tissue, as well as metabolic disorders. Nutrition is confirmed by a high fiber content, which activates the proper functioning of the digestive tract. Croup is assimilated by almost 100%. Quinoa is an excellent source of vegetable protein with a rich amino acid composition. Eating seeds energizes a person for the whole day and strengthens the immune system.
In addition, there are a lot of ways to make quinoa, so you should definitely try at least some of them. Amazing nutty taste of cereals will not leave anyone indifferent.
The opinion of doctors
This moment interests us no less than the method of making quinoa cereal. Useful properties raise it to the podium among all the other cereals. Quinoa is not only a food product, it is also a natural healer. The use of cereals has a positive effect on the human body. Doctors note the following points:
- Quinoa has a firming effect on the body.
- Positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system.
- Recommended for people suffering from diabetes.
- Actively removes toxins and toxins from the body.
- Strengthens bone tissue. Accelerates the healing of wounds and damage to the surface of the skin.
- Very useful for pregnant women.
- Helps to restore the athlete's body.
- Groats are rich in protein and useful for children. Regular use has a beneficial effect on the state of blood vessels.
Universal training
If the hostess knows how to cook porridge, then it will not be difficult for her to cope with quinoa. Preparation is not much different from what you usually do before cooking buckwheat or millet. By the way, if you like wheat, everything will be even simpler. By analogy with it, it is advisable to soak the rice quinoa. The grain has a natural bitter note, which dissolves safely in water. If this point is neglected, porridge will not become tasteless or inedible. But a peculiar shade will appear. Time is chosen individually, culinary experts recommend pouring water into the cereal in the evening. But if you need it today, then wait at least 40 minutes.
Further still easier. It is necessary to fill the washed seeds with cold water (if there is sweet porridge, then you can add a little milk or cream) and put on the stove. It’s hard to say how much to cook the grits. You just need to wait for the absorption of all the liquid. In general, cereals are boiled in less than half an hour. Finished grains increase in size, swell greatly.
Boiled grains are slightly transparent and resemble soft couscous in consistency. The taste of the product is fresh, but with a nutty tint. In the mouth, the grains burst like eggs. Experienced chefs suggest that the seeds are boiled in any liquid in a ratio of 1: 2. That is, water should cover the groats a few centimeters. Salt is better to add later. This way of making quinoa is universal, whether you decide to make a side dish or milk porridge for breakfast.
Cooking without pre-soaking
Some people like the natural taste of quinoa. Professional chefs love to beat the bitter notes of seeds in dishes with various ingredients. Then quinoa can not be soaked. The absence of this procedure will not hurt somewhat, but, on the contrary, will retain all the useful elements. It is only important to thoroughly rinse the grains. In this case, you can calcine the seeds in a pan. The principles of cooking are the same. When the mass boils, the fire is reduced and the grains are boiled until the liquid is completely absorbed. Quinoa croup is often prepared in restaurants by this principle. There are many more cooking methods, so let's continue.
If cereal is for salad
In this case, the guideline will be the fact that we need to get crumbly porridge. To a grain to a grain. Sometimes housewives say that it is precisely such cooking of cereals that they consider the most difficult. But you just need to know a few secrets.
First, bake the seeds in a dry skillet. Do not add salt or oil, this is unnecessary at this stage. Roasting will give the grain softness and remove excess stickiness. After that, you can start cooking. Here the opinions of the culinary experts were divided. Some people think that you need to add basil, rosemary and other spices immediately after cooking. Others prefer to do without them to emphasize the natural taste and aroma.
Cooking a great side dish
An excellent choice in this case would be the Mistral Quinoa. The cooking method is painted on the packaging, but today we will consider several options, among which you will definitely find your own. To create a light side dish, you need only a few vegetables:
- Boil 200 g of beans in salt water.
- Separately finely chop half a red onion, 2 carrots, 3 zucchini and a celery stalk.
- Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Separately, mix 100 g of fresh orange juice and a teaspoon of paprika.
- Combine the vegetables with the cereal and add the citrus dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. It turns out a wonderful side dish.
Quinoa without boiling
Raw food fans often ask the following question: how to cook quinoa for a side dish without heat treatment? It turns out that this is also not difficult. The principle is the same as that of buckwheat. If in the evening it is filled with water or kefir, then in the morning there will be a rather tender porridge.
But here it is still more interesting. If the fried buckwheat just swells, then quinoa is a living seed that is capable of intensive growth. That is, overnight, the seeds will not only swell, but also germinate, turning an ordinary meal into a wonderful set of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and amino acids.
First, the grains are soaked in water for 40 minutes. After that, they are dried and left in a container with a damp cloth. At room temperature, the seeds spend on their growth no more than 4 hours. And germinated seeds are an excellent side dish for cold dishes and an important ingredient in salads. You can chop any vegetables and sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil, add a handful of quinoa - and the vitamin salad is ready. And every day it can be different.
Quinoa with vegetables
To prepare you will need:
- Quinoa - 1 tbsp.
- Cauliflower, carrots - about 300 g each.
- Tomato and sweet pepper - 1 pc.
- Vegetable oil and spices.
Cook the cereals, salt and leave in the pan. Now it's up to the preparation of vegetables. Cook cauliflower and disassemble for inflorescences. All other vegetables need to be slightly fried in a pan with a small amount of oil. The tomato is placed last, and then stewed for a few more minutes. It remains to add quinoa, salt and pepper. Keep the mixture on fire for a couple of minutes and you can turn it off. Since preparing quinoa at home is not difficult at all, this dish can be used on its own or as a side dish at least every day (or almost every one).
This cereal is very useful for the body, but do not forget that the stomach should get used to it. Therefore, if you buy it for the first time, then prepare a small portion. It will be possible to repeat in 2-3 days. And of course, no matter how healthy porridge is, it will not replace a complete diet.
Quinoa risotto
If you simplify the cooking technique, then this is an ordinary pilaf. Just instead of rice, another cereal is taken here. You need to know how to properly prepare quinoa in order to pour enough water and not get smudged as a result:
- Rinse the seeds and let the water drain.
- Heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic and carrots, bell peppers and celery slices. The mixture is no longer fried, but stewed for 3 minutes.
- Pour a glass of quinoa. Remember that if you do not like the natural taste of grains (they have a slight bitterness), then it is better to pre-soak them for several hours.
- Add two glasses of water. After about 10 minutes, check the amount of fluid. At the same time, you can pour parsley and cilantro. Stir the risotto and simmer another 5-10 minutes over low heat.
The dish is original and interesting. I must say, classic pilaf does not replace, you need to get used to it. But as a side dish it can work fine. Try to serve such an appetizer on a holiday, it will fly apart literally in a few minutes.
Instead of a conclusion
Quinoa is a great source of protein and other nutrients. What is this cereal and how to cook it, we briefly examined today. Rice quinoa can be used to make sweet cereal. It goes well with seafood, vegetables and chicken, beef and lamb. If we are bored with buckwheat, rice or other cereals, then it's time to diversify the quinoa table. The unique cereal perfectly saturates and is suitable for those who want to lose weight. Low calorie content, excellent taste and nutritional value make quinoa the best friend during a diet. It is also suitable as a mono-diet, as it contains a unique set of almost all the substances necessary for the body.