There are certain food items that are regarded as staple foods. Here in England it is almost a crime to have dinner without potatoes. We eat potatoes with anything. We boil them, we roast them and we chip them. We also make them into waffles, croquettes and mashed potato. When we run out of ideas for the potato it will be a sad day.
Another staple food is rice. Whilst not a flexible as the humble potato it can be cooked and used in many ways as a main meal or a dessert. So what about quinoa? Is using quinoa as a staple food a viable option. Is it easy to use in lots of different types of foods and recipes? Having written 2 books on the subject I am bound to say yes. But let me explain a number of easy ways you can include quinoa in your diet today.
As An Accompaniment To A Meal.
You can very easily substitute quinoa as the side dish where you would normally serve rice. Because quinoa is more substantial than rice with a slight flavour of its own I believe it is a better option for curries and casseroles. It really improves the overall taste of the meal and makes it more filling. You can reduce the quantity and still feel full.
As A Salad Base
Cous Cous is used in North Africa and some Mediterranean countries as a base for salad. You can use quinoa is a similar way. You can mix in anything you have to hand with the quinoa and have a delicious meal ready in a few minutes. To add further punch you can dress the salad with mayonnaise or French dressing. For example, it is very easy to chop up some sweet peppers, celery and carrots and toss them together with quinoa. It only takes moments and tastes delicious.
Why Quinoa Can Be A Staple Food
The point about quinoa is that is is much more easy to use than most people imagine. It comes in different colours and different forms. There are the standard grains tha come in a cream, red and black colour. Then there are quinoa flakes that can be used in baking and in breakfast cereals. You can also use the flakes as a granola ingredient. You can also buy gluten free quinoa flour for use in special gluten free bread and cookie recipes.
I hope you can see the possibilities with quinoa as a staple food.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What do you think about this quote? What's your favorite The Hangover. quote?