TORONTO – Mairlyn Smith would like to clear up some misconceptions about quinoa.
First, the superfood is not a whole grain. It’s a seed.
“It’s like calling a banana an apple,” says the editor of “The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa Cookbook” (Whitecap, 2012). “It’s a pseudo-cereal because it cooks like a grain, but I think that’s where the big misconception comes in.”
And second, though the nutrient-rich seed which originated in Peru is a complete protein, it doesn’t contain as much of the essential amino acids that help the body repair itself and boost immune function as many people might think.
“The problem is there are only three grams of protein in a half-cup (125-millilitre) serving. It’s a good protein, but it just doesn’t have a lot of it,” explains Smith, who has been a home economist for three decades. “That’s why … quinoa is paired with nuts, beans, dairy, tofu to increase the protein profile per serving.”
This little powerhouse, pronounced keen-wah, also contains manganese, magnesium, folate, iron and fibre.
Tofu, the only other complete plant-based protein, has 20 grams of protein in a serving. The average person should consume 50 to 175 grams of protein a day, depending on activity level and gender.
People new to quinoa often start out by putting it in a salad.
“That was one thing I didn’t want to just do in the book because there’s an awful lot of books that are just salads,” says Smith. “That’s why this book is breakfasts to desserts, so I wanted to explore all of the possibilities.”
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Smith recruited 58 Ontario home economists, who ranged from students to retired professionals to develop recipes.
“I’ve never been the big boss of everybody before and it was really exciting and so I gave everybody the challenge of exploring beyond salads. I did ask for breakfast to dessert,” says the Toronto-based alumna of the Second City Comedy Troupe.
“Our goal was to educate people on how to use quinoa but also to bring our profession into the light and for people to understand that most professional home economists are professional recipe developers.”
The result is a book containing an eclectic range of tastes.
“I was most surprised at some of the different ideas, like crepes. I thought they were phenomenal. You’d never know there was quinoa flour in them.”
Smith, who has written several other cookbooks on healthy eating and does TV cooking segments on CityLine, said she had baked with quinoa flour before but found it left a bitter aftertaste. But the home economists who developed the recipes for the cookbook came up with clever ways to camouflage any undertone of bitterness.
She said she was “blown away” by the delicious muffin and brownie recipes and a quiche with quinoa in the crust.
Even pets can get in on the act with healthy doggie biscotti made with apples and carrots.
The recipe section launches with a creamy fruit and nut porridge. “It’s really comforting, tasty and faster than making steel-cut oats,” Smith says.
The 30 main-course dishes, enough for every day of the month, contain 500 calories or less. There are also plenty of side dishes as well as salads. Recipes include a nutrition breakdown.
The book contains a primer on buying and storing quinoa, which comes in flakes, puffs, flour and in different colours – white, black and red. The lighter the colour, the milder the flavour. A photo montage shows novices how to cook quinoa, which generally takes only 15 minutes.
Quinoa is gluten-free. Of the more than 120 recipes in the book, Smith has included 14 that are completely gluten-free and 30 that can be if some of the ingredients are adjusted.
The book is not meant solely for vegetarians.
“Even though I think eating more plant-based is great, I don’t think you have to become a vegetarian to reap the benefits of eating more vegetarian food,” Smith says. “So if this is just to encourage you to add one, two or three more vegetarian meals to your week, then that’s great.”
Her diet is 80 per cent plant-based. She also eats fish, chicken occasionally, turkey at holidays and some red meat in the winter.
Smith called on students in the food and nutrition program at Ryerson University to test the recipes in her home kitchen. A lot of the educational tips and tidbits in “The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa Cookbook” stem from observing the students’ lack of knowledge about cooking.
“I like to make sure the recipes I’m involved with are failproof to the best of my knowledge. If I can figure out how to make things so that when you go to make them you’re going to have success, that means you’re going to try more recipes.”
Smith, 58, also highlighted recipes for different seasons. The Ontario Fresh Farm Marketing Association recently gave her an award for being an ambassador about eating local.
“I am all about local and seasonal and supporting your local farmer. I really believe things taste better when you eat them seasonally. I don’t want to have a strawberry right now from California. It looks like one, but that’s where it ends.”
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