Facebook Twitter You Tube Google+
  Beets & Beats
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Guest recipe
  • About me
  • Contact

Quinoa Salad

Picture
Tweet
 Our special guest opening the site is Ana Robert, a Brazilian friend who sings 'Brazilian Popular Music' and 'Bossa Nova' in both Portuguese and English. She created this Quinoa Salad for us, which is easy, quick and very refreshing, perfect for summer nights. Ana also wrote this little text about quinoa, which I have the pleasure to share with all of you. The Music selected to cook this recipe connects with the earthy quinoa. Enjoy! 

For you to be connected to the Earth and the Universe...


Quinoa
Chenopodium quinoa is believed to have been domesticated in the Peruvian Andes. The Incas who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as chisaya mama or 'mother of all grains'. During the European conquest of South America, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as 'food for Indians', and even actively suppressed its cultivation, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies. 
In contemporary times, quinoa crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (18%), being considered a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a great source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, provides calcium and is gluten-free. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied spaceflights. 
2013 has been declared International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations.
Picture
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 4 medium tomatoes diced
  • 1 whole cucumber diced
  • 2 limes
  • Salt
  • Coarsely black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:
  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile, dice and chop other ingredients.
  2. When quinoa is done, mix tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Squeeze limes, add salt and pepper, adjusting to your taste. Add basil.
  3. Serve warm or refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

WordPress plugin
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
Click here to edit.