Quinoa Porridge.

This is a first, blogging whilst eating the dish in question! Quinoa breakfast porridge! (and this is how recipe books, or laptops, get that 'used' look!)

A few months ago I was chatting with a friend in the park . I am pretty sure it was a stunted conversation as they usually are when there is her 1yr old she was watching at the same time! None the less, we were chatting, about how I had started using quinoa and what do I do with it, and all I could come up with was that I use it instead of rice or occasionally couscous and that I really did want to know how to do more with it. End of discussion. On Christmas Eve day she turns up at the house with a quinoa recipe book which she says is not a Christmas present but a gift in support of my blog, and that she had spotted it the day before and felt compelled to buy it for me! Lucky me! Lucky anyone who now benefits from that too. The book is called Quinoa 365 The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming. Their website is www.quinoa365.com

I knew this little 'grain' had extraordinary powers but I didn't quite know all the reasons why and I now I am an educated quinoa eater. Here are a few tit bits of information for you on quinoa (as gathered from my book):

- it is the fruit of a broadleaf plant in the same family as spinach and beets

- it contains all 8 essential amino acids needed to support human growth and development

- it is classified as a complete protein (it is a nutritionally superior source of of non-animal protein) 

- it is rich in vitamins E, B2, B6, folic acid, biotin, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and chloride (high in antioxidants)

- it is easy to digest and good for those with gluten intolerances and other digestive disorders

- it helps build muscle (1 of the top 10 foods for muscle building), promote weight loss and stabilise blood sugar (it is a complex carbohydrate)

- it is being considered by NASA as a crop for Controlled Ecological Life Support System.

In fact, so great is the power of this food that when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s and recognised the strength that quinoa gave to the Incas they destroyed all the fields and made it illegal to cultivate, consume or worship it. And yet it survived and is still here today. A superfood indeed! 

It was incredibly interesting reading about this food and then finding recipes for every meal imaginable that used it either in whole form, flaked or the flour. They suggested having a container of cooked quinoa in the fridge to then be able to add it any meal, tossed on top of a salad, into a soup or stew, shakes, bakes, it really boggles the mind how we can be using it in our every day lives with such ease. Even allowing it to sprout and using the sprouts in salads or sandwiches, how exciting! There are a few recipes I want to try soon: pumpkin pancakes, moist chocolate cake (gluten free!) and decadent chocolate pudding! There was also a great recipe for a chicken and broccoli bake using already cooked quinoa, this can also be made vegetarian, stuffed baked potatoes, and the list goes on. At least my mind has been inspired now to think of ways to use it, just have to get into the habit of doing it. 

So, now that I have shared some knowledge, back to the food part, I was eating quinoa for breakfast when I first began this entry. It is now long gone.  The recipe was called Raisin Pudding Breakfast Porridge. It is like a rice pudding, and you could serve it as a dessert they say if you made it sweeter. The recipes tells you to mix 2 1/2 cups of milk, 1 cup of quinoa, 2 tbsps maple syrup, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of raisins in a medium pan, cover and bring to the boil. I finished my raisins in home made granola so just went along without it and instead I cut up an apple and stewed it in a small pan at the same time. Once it is boiling you reduce it to a simmer and cook for another 5mins until the quinoa is tender. I think I just cooked it for 5mins instead of until tender and then had to cook it more later on, so do make sure it is tender. In the mean time, whisk together 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Once the quinoa is tender, you add 1 tsp of quinoa into the eggs and whisk it, do this 7 times, whisking each time, to temper the eggs. Then you can add the eggs to the quinoa and cook for another 3-5mins until it thickens. The eggs really give it a thick, custardy kind of texture, almost fluffy. It was at this point that I had to continue to cook mine because I hadn't let it get tender initially, only a couple more minutes. Then you add 1 tbsp of butter, stir it in and serve. I topped mine with the stewed apple in absence of raisins, though I would probably do it anyway because it tasted so good. I now have quite a bit extra (the recipe serves 4-6) which I will keep in the fridge as a sweet snack or another breakfast and hopefully it heats up well or tastes good cold! I have found in the past that quinoa keeps me full for a long time, must be the complex carbohydrate thing, stabilising blood sugar, good news! Happy days!