Raw: Sprouting Quinoa

MmMmMm Quinoa! I love it! I've always cooked it, but lately I'm inspired to add more "RAW" into my diet. SO - sprouting! An alternative to cooking the Quinoa...and it's actually quite easy to do. Why Raw you ask? Because raw food retains more nutrients {among many other things}. I just figured, eh - why not? Give it a shot. So, for the past 3 days I've been sprouting my quinoa - and now they're finally ready to enjoy! Hooray! Big thanks to Bri and Zach in California for being the inspiration.

If you are new to Quinoa, or want to further your education....
Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa is available in your local health food stores throughout the year. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas." Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Low in calories, high in maganese, magnesium + iron.

How To Sprout Quinoa
eHow.com says...

Growing your own sprouts is a great way to boost your protein intake, particularly if you are a raw foodist or a vegetarian. Quinoa is one of the easiest grains to sprout, and tastes great on salads, mixed with vegetables or added to sandwiches. Sprouting is easy, and only takes a few days and no special equipment.

1. Step 1

   Choose clean, organic quinoa and store it in a cool, dry place until you are ready for sprouting. Begin the sprouting process by soaking the quinoa in water for 12 hours in a cool, dark location. Remember that sprouting will triple the size of the grain, so only sprout as much as you can use in about 2 weeks.

2. Step 2

   Drain the water from soaked quinoa and rinse the grain thoroughly. Quinoa naturally contains saponin, which causes a soapy residue to rinse off of the grain. If you do not thoroughly rinse your, your sprouts will end with a bitter flavor.

3. Step 3

   Place drained and rinsed quinoa into a wide mouth glass jar and cover loosely with a piece of cloth. Place the grains in a cool semi-lit location and repeat the rinsing and draining procedure 2 or 3 times a day. Make sure that you keep sprouting quinoa out of direct sunlight and that you drain as much water as possible off of the grains before leaving to sprout. This will increase the speed of sprouting while decreasing the chances of mold growth.

4. Step 4

   Stop the sprouting process after two or three days, when then tails of the quinoa have grown to 1/2 or 1 inch in length. Rinse the quinoa a final time and then cover loosely and place in the refrigerator, as cold temperatures prevent further sprouting. Sprouts should be eaten within 2 weeks.