Yesterday, from 12:00-3:00pm, was Tasty Tuesday in Tampa and Friday will be Foodie Friday in St. Petersburg. The featured dish de la semaine is Vegan Cheesy Vegi Quinoa made with We Can’t Say It’s Cheese Non-Dairy Cheddar Dip and Ancient Harvest Quinoa.
Never ones to simply feed people, we, here at Rollin’ Oats, began to research the history and health benefits of Quinoa and found some surprising information.
Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a wheat-free and gluten-free, ancient Incan “grain” grown high in the Andes Mountain. The ancient Incans called quinoa the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. It is easy to see why! Technically, Quinoa is not a true grain. It is actually the seed of the Chenopodium (Goosefoot plant) and is related to Beets, Swiss Chard, and Spinach! However, Quinoa is generally considered a grain due to its cooking characteristics. Quinoa is high in protein, calcium, and iron, and contains all 8 of the essential amino acids for human tissue production, making it a complete protein. Quinoa also contains both soluble and in-soluble fiber! This little powerhouse of a “grain” is lower on the glycemic index than rice, higher in protein, and cooks much faster! That makes it a winner in my book!
So… how does one go about cooking this little wonder grain? Cooking Quinoa is surprisingly simple. It cooks much the same as rice, with 2 minor changes. Quinoa is covered by a thin, bitter resin-like coating, which serves as a natural insect repellent. Some prepackaged brands of Quinoa, like Ancient Harvest, pre wash the grain to remove this coating. However, if you buy unwashed Quinoa you must rinse it before cooking. The rest is simple. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of Quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Then, remove your pot from the heat and allow to sit, covered, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve! You can replace rice in virtually any recipe with Quinoa, including Risotto!
Ancient Harvest Quinoa is currently on sale at Rollin’ Oats. This is the perfect time to try this ancient superfood! If you are in Tampa and missed yesterdays’ demonstration, simply ask an employee for a recipe card. We will be happy to assist you!
While you are shopping, stop by The Oats Cafe’ for a delicious meal! In addition to a variety of salads, turkey burgers, and made to order sandwiches and wraps, The Oats Cafe’ has hot bar and soup specials that change every day! Today’s menu features Vegan Tofu Stir-fry, Oven Fried Tilapia, and Split Pea Soup. For the rest of today’s specials, follow this link to our Menu Page.
The Oats Blakey is also serving up fresh from the oven breads, muffins, cookies, and specialty items! For the freshest baked goods follow this link to our Oats Bakery Page. There is nothing like made-from-scratch, freshly baked bread!
