Gluten Free Quinoa, the Mother Grain of the Incans

The South American annual herb Quinoa has found its way into North American kitchens. First cultivated in the Andes over 3,000 years, Quinoa was known and honored by the Inca civilization as the “Mother Grain” because of its ability to sustain health.

Quinoa is a small gluten free seed, similar in size and look to millet or sesame seeds. It is rich in nutrients, with a higher percentage of protein, 16.2%, than any commonly grown grains like barley, wheat or rice. Quinoa provides a complete protein profile with high amounts of cystine, lysine and methionine. Quinoa also provides minerals and vitamins including significant amounts of magnesium, phosphorus and folate.


Traditionally after harvest the Quinoa seed was scrubbed to remove what we now know to be saponines, a bitter tasting compound that protects the seed from insects. Soaking and scrubbing the Quinoa seed removes the protective saponine coat, increasing nutrient availability. Many commercial companies remove the saponines before they sell Quinoa, but I still recommend soaking the seed for 12 hours. It reduces the cooking time as well as improves the digestibility of the seed.


You can find quinoa in three colors, a soft yellow, red or black. I have found the yellow to be the most delicate and tender, while the red and black quinoa are nuttier in flavor. I often will mix the sturdier black and red seeds with the yellow as they look beautiful together and their textures work well too.

Cooking Quinoa is easy.

1. Soak a cup of Quinoa in water; I suggest 12 hours of soaking. Rinse well.

2. Place seeds in a stainless steel pan on medium heat.

3. Have one cup of broth or water on hand. As the seed is plump with soaking water you only need to add the liquid a 1/4 cup at a time until the Quinoa is tender. You may not need to add all the liquid.

Yellowquinoa is cooked in 5-10 minutes and will plump up and look clear. Red or black quinoa will take approximately the same time but you will need to taste them to see when they are done.

Quinoa is a versatile food.

Quinoa can be made into pilaf’s, topped with roasted vegetables, added to stews or soups, used in salads, substituted for pasta in pesto recipes or made into pudding. Quinoa flakes or flour can are lovely for baking cookies, pies, breads, muffins, pancakes or granola.

I successfully sprout Quinoa by soaking them over night and rinsing them for four days. This year I took it to a new level and planted my sprouts! Everyone, including me, thought I was growing lambs quarter. It turns out that Quinoa is in the same family as lambs quarter so they have a similar look. I will let you know how the plants do.



Curried Quinoa Apple Pilaf

Serves 4
Quinoa is a much better choice than rice and here it's paired with in-season apples and sweet and pungent spices. The curry contains the potent antioxidant turmeric. You can also add ginger if you like it.

1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup quinoa, soaked rinsed and drained
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup broth or water
2 Fuji apples, chopped and divided (reserve chopped apples away from air)
3 tablespoons dried tart cherries or Goji berries
¾ cups apple juice
3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste


Add the onion to a saucepan and saute until clear and tender.

Add the quinoa and cook until toasty.

Add the curry powder, cumin and cardamom and toast for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the broth, 1 chopped apple, cherries and apple juice.

Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes on the heat. Check to see if the quinoa is cooked or needs more broth. Add more broth if necessary. Be careful not to add too much as it will make the quinoa mushy.

Remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff, adding remaining apple and almonds.

Taste and add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired.

Serve hot, warm, room temperature or chilled.

Controlling Cancer Risks with Healthy Nutrition and Lifestyle

What is the connection between cancer, nutrition and lifestyle?

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating.

Certainly those that come to my programs are seeking information about reducing the risk of cancer or its recurrence through diet and lifestyle. Most often people have not been told that they are in control of three basic tools to reduce their risk of cancer and its recurrence. The three tools are:

1. Choosing a whole food diet where two thirds of your diet consists of colorful vegetables and fruits, sprouts and fermented foods, and one third consists of non-red meat protein sources such as low fat poultry, fish, legumes and whole grains. This offers high quality nourishment to the body and helps reduce the risk of cancer by 30%.
(WCRF/AICR., Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity. 2007.)

2. Engaging in 30 to 90 minutes of physical activity five to six times a week may lower cancer risks up to 40%. (Dr. Block, Long-term Biologic Strategies for Secondary Prevention of Cancer, IFM 17th International Symposium, May 2010.)

3. Relaxation, deep breathing, and stress reduction practices mediate your risk of cancer and offer gene support. (Ornish D et al. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 2008;105:8369.)

Recent literature suggests that there is a growing scientific understanding of the nutrition-lifestyle cancer connection. It has taken the past thirty years of scientific inquiry to conclude that on a daily basis people need healthy food, good exercise and time to relax. Here are some of the facts from the research.

The World Health Organization reports:
• 2.7 million deaths are attributable to low fruit and vegetable intake
• 1.9 million deaths are attributable to physical inactivity
• At least 1/3 of all cancer cases are preventable (http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/en)

The Nurse’s Health Study’s comments on Western Dietary patterns and the increase in Mortality from Breast Cancer and other Diseases:
• Low grain, high fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables increases survivorship
(Kroenke et al., J Clin Oncol 23(36): 92925-9303.2005.)
• Most active women have a 13% reduction in breast cancer risk regardless of tumor stage or histology (Peters et al., CEBP18(1):289, 2009.)

The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study on Colorectal Cancer Risks and Meat Intake states:
• The highest intake of red meat and processed meat significantly increased the incidence of colorectal cancer risk (Cross et al., Cancer Res/ 2010 Mar 15;70(6):2406-14)

The Lifestyle Heart Trial found:
• You may slow, stop, or reverse the progression of prostate cancer with lifestyle changes: vegetarian diet, daily physical exercise and daily meditation
(Ornish D et al.JAMA 1998:20: 2001-2007.)
• In a three month study participants that ate a vegetarian diet, practiced meditation and daily physical exercise, it was found that gene expression in over 500 genes was beneficially affected and that oncogenes causing breast cancer and prostate cancer were down regulated (turned off). (Ornish D et al. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 2008;105:8369.)

The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment notes:
• Refined carbs and sugar intake increases risk of several cancers
• Low animal protein diets decrease cancer risk and cancer mortality
• Healthful diet may reduce recurrence in breast and oral cancers
• Fitness reduces cancer risk in Breast cancer by 20-30%, in lung cancer by 13-39%, and in colon cancer by 50% . Walking 3 to 5 hours per week cut risk of death from breast cancer by 50%.
(Dr. Block, Long-term Biologic Strategies for Secondary Prevention of Cancer, IFM 17th International Symposium, May 2010.)



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Diet and lifestyle choices are something we can control. We start by removing the old habits and adding healthy new ones.
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REMOVE the processed food from your pantry
Do this slowly and methodically so the change can stick.
You will know the food is processed if:
• It is refined such as white flour or sugar, some refined oils and table salt
• The shelf life is exceptionally long, such as aseptic soups and drinks, canned foods, snack foods, box cereals or meals
• There are additives and preservatives in the ingredients
Generally, do not use a packaged product if there are more than five ingredients that you do not recognize as a whole food or cannot pronounce.

ADD whole foods to your pantry
• You will know it is a whole food if it looks like a seed, nut, grain, legume, fruit, vegetables, or sea vegetable which was just harvested
• Sea salt; it offers minerals to enrich your diet
• Raw fermented vegetables; which provide probiotic support and vitamin C
• Sweeteners in moderation and as whole as possible, honey, maple syrup, dried fruits, Stevia
• Green foods; chlorella, spirulina, barley and wheat grasses
• Sprouts; nutrient rich and inexpensive when home made

ADD several internet sites for whole food recipes and pick up a great cook book or two
Remember local libraries have cook books for free.

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REMOVE inactivity and couch potato routines

ADD physical activity
Thirty to ninety minutes per day of walking, biking, hiking, dance, gardening, yoga, Qigong, Ti Chi, or any other physical exercise to your daily life may change your cancer risk or outcome by as much as 40%

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REMOVE stress and loneliness

ADD stress reduction practices
Deep breathing, prayer, meditation, yoga, Quigong and/or deep sleep

ADD community!
Be active within your community, your family and friends. They offer support, laughter, love and encouragement. They are your connection to living a full and joyous life.


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Let me know how you do.

Many Blessings!
JoEllen