Kino..what?

Okay so it's called Quinoa and it one amazingly yummy Peruvian grain and you can get in your local HEB health food bins. I just finished devouring Quinoa soup and if my stomach were're already uncomfortably full I'd be going back for more. I'll share with you guys the recipe and the wonderful nutritious facts about this Peruvian delight.

Here are the facts:

Pronounced “kinwah”, it’s a pseudocereal that grows in the Andean zone. It was of great nutritional value in ancient times, together with the potatoes and maize(corn). The quinoa has a lot of protein (12%-18%) and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids. Besides, it’s a good source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Quinoa doesn’t have gluten and it’s easy to digest.

Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is used by the NASA for long duration manned spaceflights. So, if the astronauts use it, why don’t you?

The Recipe:

Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:

200 g (7 oz) of quinoa (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
6 cups of water
1 tablespoon of ground garlic
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 bell pepper
1 chopped onion
2 medium potatoes, cut in pieces
3 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Preparation:

Prepare a sesoning frying the onion, garlic, pepper and cumin. When it’s ready, add the water, the washed quinoa and the potatoes. Season with salt.

Before serving, add the egg (beaten, if you want) and the chopped bell pepper.

I made mine without the eggs and also after sauteeing the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and adding the water I added chicken and let it boil for about 15 minutes in order to have a chicken based broth. Then I added the other ingredients as follows. Oh yeah, I also added carrots. It's so nutritious and a good substitute for rice or pasta.

You can also make quinoa cakes, pilaf, put it in salad, eat it like an oatmeal for breakfast, and the list goes on!