Cuisinart & Family
February 11, 2008 |
by:
I'll admit it: I was afraid of quinoa. The name alone connotes
a far away land where palm tree dotted mountain ranges are drenched in blinding
sunlight. But its mystique beckoned me from the supermarket shelf, and I gave
into its exotic allure. Boy, am I glad I did. It's delicious!
PermaLink
Quinoa is a unique grain - not quite a cereal, not quite a
green, either. Originally from the Andes region of South
America (looks like I correctly guessed its mountain vibe!), the Incas
thought quinoa was sacred, and referred to it as "the mother of all grains."
When you find out what's in it, you understand why it earned
its maternal moniker. It's packed with protein and contains a healthy dose of nine
essential amino acids - a rarity in any kind of grain.
One would think something that sounds this exotic must be
tough to cook, but it's actually very easy. Quinoa cooks just like rice - two parts
water to one part quinoa -- and resembles couscous when it's cooked. It is easy
to digest too, which makes it a perfect early food for young taste buds to
discover.
Babies can eat pureed quinoa once they've mastered their
basic grains, from the age of nine months or so. Experimenting with quinoa is
great excuse to grab your Cuisinart
PowerPrep Plus 14-Cup Food Processor
and get to blending!
When introducing baby
to quinoa, try pairing it with:
Carrots
Peas
Lentils
Sweet Potatoes
Turkey
Chicken
Visit us next week for the first installment of our three-part
series about sneaking pureed vegetables into your child's favorite foods with wisdom
from Missy Chase Lepine, The Sneaky Chef!
PermaLink