Quinoa

A little history about this tasty treat. (we read this at the table as we devoured every bit of this dish of Quinoa with Zucchini, Carrots, Olives, Onions and Feta cheese that my mom had prepared for us) Thank you Grandma Bucky!!!

Even Mr. Adorable LOVED it!!!

About one hundred and fifty years ago bananas were unknown in the U.S. and peanuts were only eaten by slaves. So who's to say that an old South American grain called Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) won't become a popular American staple.

It is uncanny that such a wonderfully tasty and nutritionally important food could be lost, forgotten and even shunned in its native land. Quinoa was grown by the Incas on terraces in the Andes Mountains in Peru, Bolivia and Chile, the same places where it is grown by farmers today. It is a hardy plant which resembles the weed lambs quarters. It thrives in low rainfall, high altitudes and survives when other food crops cannot. The Incas would grind it into flour for breads, biscuits, use its leaves for vegetables, burn the stalks for fuel and use the saponin from its soak water as a soap. But, today, even in areas where production is greatest, it is hard to find quinoa in a restaurant. People are embarrased to admit knowledge of it because of cultural ignorance and radio and television commercials which promote refined foods imported from other countries. How sad considering they are literally sitting on a nutritional gold mine.

Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain! And it tastes wonderful too!
Here's the comparison of Quinoa against other grains: (Mg per 100 grams of weight)
Quinoa: Calcium =141.0,Phosphorous=449.0, Iron=6.6
Wheat: Calcium= 36.0, Phosphorous=224.0, Iron=4.6
Yellow corn: Calcium= 6.0, Phosphorous=207.0, Iron=3.7
White Rice: Calcium=8.0, Phosphorous=143.0, Iron=0

Baby Andoo eating a whole bowl of Quinoa. He begged and whinned for more!
Now I know that he also loves to eat zucchini!