Quinoa

Fifteen years ago quinoa first appeared in my life, my then housemate Bodhitara introduced it to me. I had never eaten anything quite like it and was instantly in love. In those days local produce wasn't a concept I really considered and ate it regularly not realising it had flown thousands of kilometers to reach my plate.

These days quinoa is the buzz word making appearances on menus in cafes, restaurants and even pubs. I stopped using quinoa for a few years as being a caterer who uses locally sourced produce it didn't feel right to feature a grain that had been flown in from Bolivia and Peru. As it has become so popular of late it has been difficult to avoid. I had a few failed attempts at cooking Tasmanian quinoa and in my slackness and need to please clients I began using Peruvian and Bolivian quinoa again.

Recently I stopped using imported quinoa as when I was serving it to a group of yogis (who were devouring it by the plateful). one gorgeous soul told me about an article she had read on how the over consumption of quinoa has lead to increased pricing for the Peruvians and Bolivians and has forced them to eat wheat instead.

I have looked for articles on this issue and have found some that say the Bolivians and Peruvians are suffering greatly and others that say that the world's consumption isn't all that bad for the Peruvians or Bolivians. What I do know though is that Helena Norberg Hodge of ' The Economics of Happiness' talks about buying local produce as being the way to solve the world's poverty problems and the impact we have on the environment. As I have a very high regard for the work of Helena and others out there who believe that if we source local produce the whole world will live more sustainably, I have now made a commitment to using Tasmanian quinoa.

The issue with Tasmanian quinoa is that it has a natural chemical on it which makes it bitter. You need to rinse it three times before cooking and even then it is a lottery whether it will remain bitter or not. My hunch was that maybe by activating it (which means soaking) there was a chance of the quinoa not being bitter. One of the lovely people at our local bulk foods store 'The Source' confirmed my suspicions and it is with great excitement that I can use Tasmanian quinoa again.

Rinse it three times then soak it for two to eight hours. Rinse again and cook as normal. If the quinoa is still bitter don't throw it away, for some unknown reason, probably understood by those with a more scientific mind than mine, leaving the cooked quinoa in the fridge overnight makes the bitterness disappear.

If you cannot be bothererd with the soaking and rinsing process then best to avoid quinoa altogether and start using millet instead. Quinoa does contain slightly more protein and iron but millet is still a wonderful grain to eat. For one cup of cooked quinoa there is approximately 3% calcium and 15% iron and with millet it is 1% calcium and 6% iron. One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein and one cup of cooked millet has 6 grams of protein.

The recipe below is good with either Tasmanian quinoa or millet. It is lovely warm and equally as delicious served as a salad, so make a few portions and take to work for your lunch the next day

Quinoa, beetroot, broccoli and lime salad with goats cheese or macadamia nut cheese

serves 6

2 cups of quinoa

3 beetroots

1 head broccoli cut into florets

juice of 1 to 2 limes

1 very heaped teaspoon of herb salt

2 cloves minced garlic (optional)

tbsp of macadamia cheese (recipe in Fresh and Vibrant simple raw recipes)

handful of washed rocket

Wash the beetroot and cook for 45 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water and then peel the skin- (the beetroots will still be hot but the skins should come off easily. Cut the beetroot into whatever shape you like. Meanwhile steam the broccoli. Bring a saucepan of water to boil, then add the soaked and rinsed quinoa, garlic and herb salt. Cook for 10 minutes or until cooked (you will see a small white tail on the quinoa when cooked- however i just try it and if it isn't crunchy then its cooked. Fold in the beetroot and lime with the quinoa. On a serving platter or bowl place some rocket, then the quinoa and beetroot, then some broccoli and sprinkle with cheese, repeat this again.