Quinoa with tomatoes and leeks

August 28, 2001

I first came across the South American wonder grain quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) when I bought a bread-making machine and was browsing a selection of bread recipes.

I like to visit healthfood stores and buy various grains for breadmaking and one day I came across a bag of quinoa so decided it was time to investigate.

I added it to a loaf or two of bread and then put it in the pantry with the other grains and might have forgotten about it had I not come across it on a menu at a local restaurant. It was used much like rice and provided a nice nutty base for a savoury dish.

Quinoa is a broad-leafed, annual herb that grows wild . It has also been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andes. When mature, this tall, handsome plant is topped with large plume-like seed heads that range in color from vivid red, orange or yellow to black or white.

Quinoa seeds, which look much like millet, have a bitter coating of saponin which serves to protect them from birds and insects. This must be removed before cooking, but can be easily done by thoroughly rinsing the quinoa.

The seeds are rich in protein, high in fibre and particularly rich in the amino acid lysine. They are also good sources of calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamins B and E.

For basic preparation, the washed seeds are placed in a saucepan with double the amount of water, ie 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, turn down, and simmer for about 15 minutes. The seed is ready when the grains have turned transparent and the spiral like germ starts to unwind.

Quinoa can replace rice in various dishes. Try cooked quinoa instead of burghul when you are making tabbouleh. Use it with various dressing and vegetable additions for other salads.

Today's recipe is an adaptation of one I found on the Internet. It makes a good side dish with grilled chicken or a steak.

Quinoa with tomatoes and leeks

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups stock
2 large leeks
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can tomatoes
1/4 cup currants
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Slice leeks in half lengthwise and wash well to remove any dirt.

Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse well for several minutes

Place leeks and garlic in nonstick pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and cook until soft. Add spices to the leeks and stir until well mixed. Add quinoa and cook for a couple minutes then add the stock, currants and drained tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes until done.