Pineapple Week: A New Twist on an Ancient Food

Have you tried quinoa yet? I feel like it's become extremely popular in the past year or two, which is probably a good thing because it's quite versatile and good for you.

Quinoa is a funky little seed. It's not actually a grain, although my brain always wants to group it in that category. Supposedly, it was one of the three food staples of the Inca civilization, so it obviously withstood the test of time. If we judge quinoa's beneficial properties by the contributions of the Incas, it's no wonder it has been called a "supergrain". {Which, once again, reinforces that grain imagery even though it isn't one. Are you confused yet?} They did some pretty amazing stuff ahead of their time, so perhaps we should take a cue from them and eat a little more quinoa and watch a little less reality television. ;)

Because of it's mild taste, quinoa works perfectly with almost everything you pair it with, which is pretty convenient. The pineapple-y dish I'm sharing today {courtesy of Sing for Your Supper}, is a nice change of pace for a quinoa dish. The pineapple adds little pops of sweetness throughout the quinoa. I call this a "side dish" because I'm sure a boy appetite would prefer some meat somewhere in the meal, but I could probably eat this as a main dish and be perfectly satisfied, as I find quinoa hearty and filling {and yet surprisingly light}. Then again, I can also eat cheese and crackers for dinner. You be the judge. :P

I hope you've enjoyed learning a little bit about quinoa {I bet you didn't think you'd get a little history lesson today, now did you?}, and that you'll try out some different recipes with this non-grain! Here's a link to some quinoa recipes in addition to the pineapple recipe below!

Pineapple-Cilantro Quinoa
Adapted from Amy at Sing for Your Supper

You'll Need:

1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed {Ancient Harvest pre-rinses theirs, so technically you can skip this step even though I still rinse it out of habit.}
1 1/4 cups chicken broth {or water}
1 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and quinoa to a boil. Stir in salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 10-12 minutes. 

Stir and cover, turn heat down to low, and allow to steam for 5 to 8 more minutes until broth has completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

Stir in pineapple and cilantro.  Serve warm, or enjoy cold as a 'salad' of sorts.