Red Quinoa

Quinoa is a healthy seed collected from the plant Chenopodium quinoa. It shares the plant family Amaranthaceae with vegetables, like spinach, sugar beet, and beet. The red variety is red or burgundy in color and has a slightly stronger flavor than the traditional cultivar.

Loaded with healthy nutrients, consuming red quinoa is good for cardiovascular health and digestive health. As you now have a basic understanding about red quinoa, let's try to learn more about its nutrition, and healthy recipes that you can make out of this pseudocereal.

This quinoa type is a complete source of proteins for pure vegetarians, with the protein percentage coming to about 12 - 18 percent. Regarded as a superfood, it contains high amounts of essential amino acids, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and other minerals.

It is a popularly used cereal base for people who are allergic to gluten. For them, quinoa flour is a great source for protein, amino acids, important minerals, and fiber.

The calories in quinoa vary greatly depending upon how you serve it and also, the serving amount. The calorie content in dry, uncooked red quinoa is found to be approximately 159 - 164 calories per serving. Over here, the serving size is ¼ cup or in other words, 45 g. This calorie count will be different, if you consider having sprouting quinoa, quinoa flakes, and quinoa flour.

Quinoa nutrition facts is superior to other commonly eaten cereal grains, including rice and wheat. It contains the amino acid lysine, which is usually absent in plant-based foods. What's more, it is a rich source of linoleic acid, vitamins, minerals (iron, phosphorus, magnesium), complex carbohydrates, and dietary fiber.

Another health benefit of quinoa is that it is low in fat content. You can refer to the food data to gain complete knowledge about the nutrients provided by this pseudocereal.

Unlike wheat and other common cereal grains, not many of us are familiar with quinoa cooking. No wonder, it is a not so common food item on the kitchen shelf. Cooking quinoa is very simple; all you need is a little planning and basic culinary skills. The first step is soaking quinoa grain for at least 1 hour, which helps in removing saponin coat.

If time permits, soak for more than 6 hours to reduce the cooking time. Or else, you can boil quinoa to get rid of the bitter-tasting outer coat. Once you are done with soaking or boiling, you can think of making varied dishes. The following are some red quinoa recipes, which you will love to try out at home.

Ingredients

• ½ pound red quinoa, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened raspberry puree
• ½ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped scallion
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

For quinoa salad recipe, fill half a gallon of water in a cooking pot or saucepan. Put in high heat and bring it to the boiling temperature. Add washed quinoa and boil for another 15 minutes.

Drain water and keep aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, raspberry puree, and vinegar. Take a large bowl and add cooked quinoa, vinegar mixture, cranberries, and scallion. Toss well for even mixing. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 pint of mixed blackberries and blueberries
• ⅓ cup of chopped, toasted pecans
• Honey to taste
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of water

Directions

It is the easiest quinoa breakfast recipe that you can prepare within a short time. In a saucepan, add water and milk, and bring to boil. Add quinoa and cook on medium heat, while stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes or when the grains absorb ¾^th of the liquid part, remove from heat.

Cover lid and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes. As quinoa cools down, add toasted pecans, blackberries, cinnamon, and stir well. Drizzle honey and serve in bowls.

If you are using well-soaked quinoa grain, cooking requires just 12 - 15 minutes. And you can substitute it for any type of cereal. When cooked, it turns fluffy and tastes a slightly nutty. The best thing with red quinoa is that it is available throughout the year, irrespective of the season.

You can buy it in health food centers in the grain section. Ensure that you plan a healthy meal menu and make a point to include this food item in your everyday diet.