How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

A main food staple of the Inca civilization (who held the crop to be sacred), quinoa has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years and has fed millions of people—no wonder it’s known as the “Mother Grain.”

The United Nations has even classified this super-food as a “super-crop.” Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain (an average of 16.2%, compared with 7.5% for rice, 9.9% for millet and 14% for wheat). It’s also a good source of dietary fiber and is high in magnesium, potassium and iron and a good source of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans.

Quinoa is not a true cereal grain but technically a fruit of the Chenopodium family. Quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of its cooking characteristics.

There are almost 2,000 varieties of quinoa, which range in colour from ivory to pink, brown to red or almost black. The larger whiter varieties (called altiplano) are most common and are considered superior because of their sweet and succulent seed.

Ways to cook Quinoa

Whole Grain: Whole grain quinoa cooks completely in about fifteen minutes and can be added to stews, soups, stir-fries and salads to add bulk, flavour and nutrients. It can also be eaten as an alternative to oatmeal, just add honey, nuts or berries.

Flour: Quinoa flour is very low in gluten and can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. It can be added to recipes for bread, muffins, bagels, cookies and pancakes.

Pastas: Quinoa pastas usually include another grain like wheat, but there are also wheat-less varieties such as spaghetti, rotelle, shells, elbows and macaroni. Most are available in health food stores.

When properly prepared, Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture and a mild, slightly nutty flavour that makes it an excellent alternative to rice or couscous. For a roasted flavour, toast quinoa in a dry skillet for about five minutes. To cook, bring one part quinoa and two parts liquid to a boil; cover and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the grains are translucent. You can also use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa. {ref}

The Happiness Club, a dance group from Chicago, will be challenging kids from across the country to a dance off. If you’re not happy with the food being served at your school – do something about it!

This wonderful concoction was given to me by Dave Warners. Dave spent a few years in Tanzania and loves some of the flavors their family picked up there. This recipe is from Zanzibar, Tanzania, where coconut and clove are major revenue and Indian ingredients influence local cuisine.

Total preparation time: 25 minutes
Number of dinner sized portions: 6 meals

Saute in saucepan:
1 T oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 whole cloves or 1/8 t ground cloves
1 1/2 t. ground turmeric

Combine in saucepan:
2 c. cooked or canned chick-peas (garbanzos), drained (500ml)
1 tomato, chopped (or a can of diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 c. coconut milk (375ml)
1/2 t. salt

Dave also likes to add a cup or so of cooked kale or spinach and a diced onion. He also includes some curry powder when spicy is the occation, maybe 2-3 teaspoons, or a pinch of cayenne. Its really quite an easy recipe and also very flexible to play around with. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over rice with peanuts and shredded coconut as condiments if you like. Happy eating!

Edwin, a co-worker, and I were chatting about food and nutrition the other day and we ran into this article. Since we have had a few discussions about how low-carb diets and vegetarian diets can be good for your health we suggested this article that advocates for a fusion of the two.

Adding a Big Dash of ‘Health’ to Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Michael Pollan also does a wonderful monologe on the subject in his book The Omnivoure’s Dilemma. He addresses the issue of our disconnect from food and how our culture has lost something that is driving us to resort to these types of diets.

Nor would such a culture be shocked to discover that there are other countries, such as Italy and France, thea ecide their dinner questions on the basis of such quaint and unscientific criteria as pleasure and tradition, eat all manner of “unhealthy” foods, and lo and behold, wind up actually healthier and happier in their eating than we are.

If we are talking about purely health and weight loss I would advocate for a well balanced diet that includes protein and carbohydrates in proper amounts. My warning would be to not overdose on carbohydrates or protien. Balancing your meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables and reducing your meat consumption to two times a week can have great effects on your health.

Sproutable Seeds

Most seeds can be sprouted and eaten at home. Common seeds for sprouting include alfalfa, fenugreek, lentils, peas, radish, and red clover. Other less common seeds include cabbage, broccoli, garbanzos, mustard seed, and quinoa. Save garden seeds (radish is easy, just let them go to seed and harvest when dry and ripe).  Spread a blanket or tarp by the bushes just before the pods pop open to catch the seeds. [1]

Directions

1. Use any glass jar such a mason jar and the band that keeps the top on.
2. Find a mesh such as from an old window screen to hold the seeds in. (I used two square pieces at a 45 degree angle to make sure the smaller seeds stayed in.)
3. Fill the jar with 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite sprout seed, and soak them for a few hours.
4. Wash the seeds under water in the jar twice daily. (Don’t remove the screen just fill the jar then let the water wash out through the screen.)
5. Set the jar upside down during the drying period to avoid rotting your seeds. (Dish racks at 45 degree angles work well)

In years past not much attention has been given to food in the White House. This is not the case with the new administration. Michelle Obama hosted a harvest party this summer celebrating the organic garden they planted in their backyard. This is the first vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt resided in the White House.  This incident was not without controversy the Mid America CropLife Association sent a letter to Michelle stating that:

“Fresh foods grown conventionally are wholesome and flavorful yet more economical.”

“What happens if you want some grapes during the month of December?”  “What are you going to do? Not eat grapes?”

This is absurd to me. I will admit our food system is complex and we cannot all begin to rely wholly on our back yard gardens but we should be encouraging that practice as much as possible. Why can’t we eat grapes in the summer when they are ripe and not for Christmas dinner. People don’t carve pumpkins for spring break so don’t be absurd and demand grapes on your Christmas fruit cake.