The Pear & The Purple Peach

Quinoa is not that hard to prepare as long as you get the measurements correct and ensure you cook it enough to allow the germ to separate (looks like a cute little curl) and allow to rest for specified time. It’s a great versatile option in place of rice or pasta. It comes in red, black and white. I buy red and white and mix them as its looks great!

What Is Quinoa?

Pronounced Keen-wha is a seed and not a grain as per popular belief, As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds

Highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (18%). Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa also provides a significant source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans Quinoa is also gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

What you need

1 cup Quinoa
1.5 Cups cold Water

What you do

Place quinoa into a strainer and rinse well. Place into a saucepan with water,cover and bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed and germ has separated. Leave lid on and take off heat to rest for 15 mins. Fluff and serve

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A few people have asked me how to make Cous Cous as I think some are unaware of just how simple this little gem is to cook and how versatile it is! It can be sweet or savoury, plain or spice it up I love it as an alternative to rice

What is Cous Cous?

Cous Cous is Semolina.

The couscous that is sold in most Western supermarkets has been pre-steamed and dried, The couscous swells and within a few minutes of preparation it is ready to fluff with a fork and serve. Pre-steamed couscous takes less time to prepare than regular Cous Cous, most dried pasta, or dried grains (such as rice).

How to Cook

Simply place I cup of Cous Cous into a bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water, cover and let sit for about 5 mins until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork season with salt and pepper and serve

Variations: add turmeric and spices to cous cous before adding water. Add dairy free spread, Olive Oil, Nuts, Seeds, Apricots or Raisins before serving

Nutrition

Couscous is among the healthiest grain-based products. It has a glycemic load per gram 25% below that of pasta. It has a superior vitamin profile to pasta, containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate, and containing four times as much thiamine and pantothenic acid.[14][15][16] In terms of protein, couscous has 3.6 g for every 100 calories, equivalent to pasta, and well above the 2.6 g for every 100 calories of white rice. Furthermore, couscous contains a 1% fat-to-calorie ratio, compared to 3% for white rice, 5% for pasta, and 11.3% for rice pilaf.[17]

Information taken from Wikipedia