January 30, 2012

Got Quinoa?

Quinoa.
(Keen-wah)

A *new* grain that
is touted as a super food.
Even though it is technically
not a grain at all!


Have you tried it?

Quinoa is versatile
and so healthy for you!
There are many ways to prepare and serve it.
A bonus boost of nutrition is
promised each time you do. :)

It can be served as a side dish,
much like rice (and as easy to prepare) ~
Although, it is bland and
not my favourite way to eat it.
In fact, a bag of quinoa
sat in my pantry for ages while
I pondered what to do with it.

Solution.

I just got my hands on
this quinoa cookbook .
And I've already employed it.
I needed some ideas to incorporate
this food into our diet that would
please the taste buds.

One day for lunch last week
I whipped this soup up.
And it was a hit.

The only mistake I made was not
doubling the recipe.

~ Sweet Potato and Coconut Quinoa Soup ~

Slightly adapted from this cookbook ~

Quinoa 365 ~
The Everyday Superfood



2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or Butter)
1/2 cup Onion ~ diced
1/2 cup Quinoa
3 cups Vegetable Stock
400 ml (1 2/3 cup) Coconut Milk
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Chili powder

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes.
Dice into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Boil 5 to 6 minutes to soften.
Drain and set aside.

In another pot,
fry the onion in the oil
over medium heat until translucent ~
Do not brown.
Add the quinoa to the pot
and fry for a few minutes until
it begins to smell slightly nutty.


Add the vegetable stock to the
pot with the onions and quinoa,
and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and cook
for about 15 minutes ~
until the quinoa is cooked.

Add the drained sweet potatoes to the pot.
Puree the mixture with a hand blender
or in a food processor.
Return to pot on low heat and add
in the spices and the coconut milk.


Stir to blend.
Thin with water or stock, if necessary.
Heat slowly.
Taste and correct seasonings.
Serve and enjoy.

This recipe made about 5 good-sized
bowls of soup.
Next time I will make double. :)

Happy Cooking!
Camille

17 comments:

Patty said...

I have never tried quinoa but have read that it is healthy for you. I'm not too crazy about sweet potatoes but maybe I will give this a try. I am working toward healthier meals this year for our family. I will see.

Have a good day, Camille.

Little Ladybug said...

Thanks for posting this recipe Camille! I am a huge fan of quinoa and sweet potatoes, so I will certainly be trying this one out! Have a wonderful weekend!

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

I'm a big fan of quinoa! The high protein content makes it idea for hot cereal, too. Sticks with you longer :) This recipe looks delicious, thanks for sharing!

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

SO if it isn't a grain, what is it? Just curious. I was told it was has the highest protein content of any grain known to man.

Lady Farmer said...

How funny, Camille. We just had some Quinoa last night with our Alaska caught salmon. I know it is supposed to be so good for you, and my dear hubby will eat just about anything I put in front of him. I, on the other hand, am a picky eater and was not terribly impressed with the stuff! Rather tasteless, actually! But, I guess it is a change from rice, noodles and potatoes. I will fix it again, but for a more exotic sidedish, I think I prefer bulgar wheat ~ it just has a heartier flavor to it.
:~D

Yuri Richardson said...

Shalom Camille,

I noticed your comment on another site (Building a Heritage of Faithfulness) and thought to come here. I'm a father of 4 and we have the reverse of your 3b&1g. we've been married for 18yrs. and my wife is a stay at home Mom.

We are vegan and have been followers of Yahshua (Jesus) for 20yrs.

Glad I stopped in and I hope to come by again.

Shalom In Yahshua

Camille said...

Dear Patty ~ If you don't like sweet potatoes...I'm not sure you will like this soup. But, maybe the coconut milk and spices will change your mind? ;-)

Welcome Child of God ~ Thank you for stopping by and visiting me. I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you like quinoa and sweet potatoes...it will likely be a hit. :)

Dear Jackie ~ Oh...I am sure you will like it! Apparently it's a seed from a broad-leaf plant...in the same family as spinach! Go figure! :)

Dear Raeann ~ Yippee! I'm impressed that you gave quinoa a try...good for you! :) I don't like it as a side dish either...too bland. IN things...now, that seems to be a different story. I'm planning to explore the options more...maybe you will join me? :)

Welcome Yuri ~ Thank you for stopping by and letting me know you were here. How fun that you have three girls and a boy. What a blessing that your wife is at home with your family and that you love the LORD! God is Good. :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Unknown said...

I have never tried quinoa. This soup looks really good, but I think I would have to wrestle every single one of my guys to the floor before they would submit to trying it! :)

Camille said...

LOL Jenn! Too funny! :)

Love,
Camille

Intentional Living Homestead said...

I have never tried quinoa before. But you have made it sound very interesting.

I have been looking for ways to get more protein without meat....and this might be one way.

Thank you for the recipe.

Blessings,
Connie

Camille said...

Dear Connie ~ This certainly would be one way to accomplish the more-protein-in-the-diet goal. I hope your family enjoys it. :)

Blessings,
Camille

Lois said...

I love quinoa! Is this the seed that was staple to the Aztec diet? The trick to quinoa is rinse, rinse, rinse. Ideally you are to rinse for 2 min. under cold running water, and then soak it overnight, then rinse again for 2 min. This rids it of the bitter taste. Usually I don't decide the night before I'm going to use it, but if you are to make a soup, you could soak it in the morning and it would be "acid free" by supper. I also mix it with other grains (un-wet, of course) in my grain mill for breads.

Oh, we had a Thai meal the other night with coconut milk and curry paste! We must have synchronized taste buds!

Camille said...

Dear Lois ~ Yippee for coconut milk and Thai food! YUM! Thanks for the tips on quinoa use...I am a *newbie* and these are good things to know. :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Sharon said...

Camille,

I haven't tried Quinoa yet but now I need to purchase some! The recipes sounds and looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing :)

Have a lovely weekend!
Sharon

Camille said...

Dear Sharon ~ It is, apparently, a *superfood*! And, I have discovered that it is so important to rinse the seeds prior to use, as they have a bitterness to them. My bag of quinoa seems to have been rinsed well in production, so this step has not been necessary for me. I just want your first experience with it to be a good one! Enjoy! :)

Love,
Camille

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the new recipe! I've recently discovered this wonderful grain. I've been mixing it w/ 1/2 basmati rice, chicken broth, green onions & a pinch of chipotle. Yumm! And so healthy.
Blessings!

Camille said...

Welcome Diane ~ Thank you for stopping by! I just altered the instructions a little...it seems to make a difference to use a little butter or coconut oil to fry the onions in and then to add the quinoa to the pan to *toast* for a few minutes before adding the stock. I hope you like it!

Blessings,
Camille