Quinoa Greek Salad
If broccoli is the king of vegetables then perhaps Quinoa is the Queen of Grains!
We serve Quinoa often at Soma Ranch and frequently receive comments from guests like:
“oh this Quinoa tastes much better than when I’ve cooked it at home”
“my tummy feels great eating your quinoa - it’s not like that at home”
“I’m amazed how long I feel satisfied after eating quinoa here”
“I wish I could cook like this at home”
2 main reasons our quinoa tastes fabulous and works wonders is simply RINSE and SOAK!
RINSE: Saponin, a naturally occurring chemical, coats every tiny grain of quinoa. Saponin is a natural pesticide that wards off insects however (1) it has a strong, unpleasant taste and (2) who wants to put pesticide in their body? Natural or not, pesticide is toxic for the body. Rinsing the quinoa gets rid of the saponin and thus its bitter flavor, leaving you with better tasting quinoa that is free from pesticide!
SOAK: Although we call quinoa a grain, it’s a seed. Soak quinoa and watch little tiny shoots sprout from the grain. Soaking is as simple as put the grain in water for 10 minutes before cooking. We put the grain in water last thing at night and then, in the morning, the quinoa is sprouted and ready to go. It’s a time efficient habit to get into!
Our top favorite recipes include:
Red Quinoa Porridge
Peruvian Stew
Tex Mex Queen ~ Quinoa made in the style of Spanish Rice
Organic makes a difference in both taste and health. We recommend it’s well worth paying the little extra. Think of the little extra cost as an investment in your health AND “as paying it forwards”. The more we, as consumers, buy organic the more the market will respond and adjust the products they provide to meet our demand.
FYI In the US you can buy quinoa that has been “cleaned”, however this is different to rinse. The grain is cleaned through an abrasion process which causes small particles of the grain to be knocked off, leaving the grain a little less healthy, it’s less whole with less fibre.