Protein Powerhouse

Vegetarians are probably excited. Seems there’s a rather obscure grain, or seed to be precise, that offers up all nine essential amino acids generally only found from animal sources, making it one of the only, if not the only, plant that can tout being a complete protein. Reportedly, Quinoa, the powerhouse plant I’m referring to, can’t be found just anywhere. While it is available in several of the more elite supermarkets, more often than not you’ll probably have to go to your local health food store to find it. So, once you’ve found it just how do you go about cooking it up? Well, you first have to give it thorough washing, which is a good idea for any fresh produce, but in this instance it needs to be the equivalent to a Saturday night, go to town scrubbing, otherwise it could be akin to eating citrus peel.  Once you get past the cleansing you can boil it up like rice, couscous, or pasta, fluff it, and eat. It’s up to the individual whether you add Quinoa to another dish, or eat as is. Quinoa seems to be one of those foods that’s rather bland on its own and needs some help in the flavor department. Frankly, to each his own. For me, I’ll stick with my juicy hamburger, succulent pork, or tasty chicken.