Thursday, September 14, 2006

Quinoa for a Gluten-Free Dinner or Side

One of the favorite dishes this gluten free blog author enjoys is Quinoa. For those of you who are new to Quinoa, it is gluten-free (of course, or I would not eat it), and it is considered an ancient grain that dates back to the Inca civilizations in South America. It is one of the best sources of vegetable protein around, and it has a fair amount of dietary fiber (5 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber per 1/4 cup uncooked grain). The grain has a delicious, somewhat nutty, light flavor that goes well with many other dishes.

We buy the Ancient Harvest brand of Quinoa, which also happens to be certified organic for anyone that cares. And, we just follow the basic cooking instructions on the side of the box, which is basically to cook 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water (or, add some chicken broth if you like). Cooks up in about 15 minutes or so.

I have found this grain to be quite versatile. Not only is it great on it's own, it is easily complemented by other vegetables and meats. It makes for a nice change of pace where you might otherwise use rice, like in a stuffed-pepper recipe. I enjoy frying up some fresh zucchini, some chopped bell peppers (red, orange, green), and some onions to go with it. And, add a little bit of San-J Gluten Free Tamari (GF Soy Sauce essentially), and you have a wonderfully simple and tasty main course or side dish.

Time to go whip up a batch to go along with tonight's dinner!

1 comment:

Lynn Barry said...

I gave quinoa a try but did not care for it. It could be because it is a close relative of corn or maize and I have trouble tolerating that too. I am glad you are enjoying it.