Quinoa, the Peruvian super food

I've always loved quinoa, but it wasn't until my trip to Peru in 2009 that I realized I couldn't live without it. Packed with amino acids, iron, fiber, magnesium, and with a protein content of 18%, it almost seems silly not to make it part of my daily life! It's a great, nutritional alternative to rice as well, although there are some things that just taste better with rice!

I buy my quinoa at Costco. Not only is it super cheap, $7 for a big bag, but it's also organic. It's not on the dirty dozen list, but if you can buy organic for the same price as conventional, then why not? This is what it looks like, just in case you find yourself looking for it...

So now that my daughter is almost 8 months, I've decided to include it in her diet too. I make a cup, which yields about 4-5 cups once cooked, put it in a zip lock bag in the fridge, and add it to whatever I'm feeding her that day. So far she loves it. 

Cooking quinoa:

Add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a small pot. Once boiling, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or when all the water is absorbed. It's a good idea to stir it every couple of minutes. 

Quinoa Recipes:

Blue Quinoa