Quinoa, my new favorite super-food

"Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy, slightly crunchy and subtly flavored. It actually cooks and tastes like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that are difficult to digest or feed candida (a systemic fungal infection)."

Read the entire article here.

Benefit include:  High in protein (complete), it's a prebiotic!, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps control high blood pressure, high in fiber, a whole grain that's easy to digest.

I recently made this recipe, yummy!  Other ideas here, and here.

Be sure to rise in cold water before using, and it's probably best to soak before using.  Explanation and recipe I want to try next here.

From Alison @ Wholesome Goodness:

*NOTE: The very best way to prepare quinoa is by soaking it overnight.  Soaking grains improves your digestion and mineral absorption.  This helpful step is a breeze as long as you know what you’ll be preparing for dinner 12 to 24 hours in advance (hence the beauty of menu planning).  Just quickly rinse your quinoa, place it in a bowl, add water to cover it by an inch or so, and add a splash of kefir, yogurt, or raw apple cider vinegar.  (These additions will provide probiotics to start “pre-digesting” your food, as well as an acid environment to break down the phytates, a substance in all grains that inhibits mineral absorption.)  Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside to soak for 12 to 24 hours.  I just pop it onto the top of my fridge right before going to bed.  When you’re ready to cook your quinoa, drain and rinse it.  Then follow the cooking instructions above, reducing the water to 1 to 1 1/2 cups, since the grain absorbs so much moisture while soaking.  Warning: soaking your quinoa overnight results in a slightly creamier final product, so if you’re looking for a tabbouleh-like texture, skip this step.