What You Didn't Know About Quinoa & A Recipe

Oh that picture? Yep, that's quinoa - a super interesting pseudocereal. First of all, it is not a cereal, but rather a seed and it's most similar cousins in the produce world are beets, spinach and tumbleweeds (yum?). Grown in the Andean region of South America (Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador) and archeological evidence shows it was successfully domesticated 3,500-4,000 years ago. Nutritionally, quinoa contains enough variety of amino acids to be a complete protein and is also a good source of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron -- and like the mustard plant, the greens are also edible, though not widely available.
 

Thyme- Infused Red Quinoa With Black Kale and Lemon-Mustard Dressing