Quinoa has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years in the Andes, and was called the "mother grain" by the Incas, who believed eating quinoa gave them superhuman powers. Easy-to-digest and gluten-free, quinoa is a super-grain when you look at its nutritional profile. Quinoa isn’t a grain, however, but the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach. Quinoa sprouts as it cooks, and the World Health Organization says quinoa’s protein equals that in milk.
Hemp seeds also are a nutritional powerhouse with lots of fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin A and vitamin C. And they're an ecological powerhouse as well. An acre of hemp produces four times more paper per year than an acre of trees.
- 1¾ cups boiling water
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup yellow quinoa
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- ⅛ cup red quinoa
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup tomatoes, canned or fresh diced
- ½ tablespoon garlic pressed
- ¼ cup flat parsley chopped
- ½ cup shelled hemp seeds
- Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and salt. Stir, cover pot and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let quinoa sit covered in pot for another 15 minutes. Water will be absorbed.
- Dump quinoa from pot into large mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, turn a few times to let heat escape. When quinoa is cool, add remaining ingredients and toss together. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: Do not mix with a spoon because you’ll crush the tender grain. You really do want to toss with a rubber spatula.
