No matter how you pronounce it, it taste great!

Quinoa- have you heard of it? Pronounce Keen-wah and not Kwin-oh-a. while no one food can provide us with all of our essential nutrients, quinoa comes very close. In addition to being nutritious, it is quite tasty, nutty in flavor and crunchy to taste.

Quinoa grows high in the Andes and is an amazing crop to produce. It grows easily in dry, unfertile soil, needing no irrigation or fertilizer. Under these conditions, the United Nations has named quinoa the "super crop" due to its ability to feed the poor and hungry of the world with little agricultural efforts.

The quinoa plant grows from 3 to 9 feet in height, is magenta in color and comes in over 120 varieties. Botanically quinoa is related to beets, chard and spinach. Both the leaves and the seeds are suitable for eating.

In the USA white quinoa, followed by red quinoa and black quinoa, are the most popular and available varieties found in our markets. Quinoa can also be purchased in flakes and flour. Many or our larger grocery stores will carry these products in their organic section. If you have difficulty locating quinoa in your store, try your local health food market.

So are you curious enough to give it a try? I have found quinoa the most inexpensive when purchased in bulk at health food stores. Why not purchase yourself a small amount and give this recipe a try?

Black Quinoa Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

8 ounces of black quinoa (if you think the color will inhibit you from eating it, buy the white quinoa)
2 cups of water
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 cup snap peas, bias cut
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup scallions, bias cut
1 mango, diced small
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
sesame seeds, toasted, to garnish

Dressing:

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
2.Rinse quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear. Place quinoa in boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl combine orange juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger and hot sauce. Slowly whisk in sesame oil to create an emulsion. Set aside to incorporate flavors in dressing.
4. In a large bowl combine quinoa, red cabbage, snap peas, carrots, scallions, mango, and cilantro.
5. Fold in dressing and let chill in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 7-8 cups

Recipe courtesy of Indian Harvest Specialtifoods