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Celebrate the first flavors of spring with a fresh and easy weeknight-friendly meal. Join host Scott Simons for this encore Secret Ingredient presentation featuring tips and tricks for making dinnertime effortless and more nutritious with this episode’s secret ingredient, quinoa. Quinoa is one of the world’s most ancient grains and brings versatility and nutty flavor to the table. It’s the only complete grain-based protein and is packed with eight essential amino acids. Buy it in bulk for eco-savings and be kind to your wallet and the world.
Get the Recipe: Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Spring Peas and Asparagus
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Isn’t this a really old podcast? I have made this recipe 4-5 times and its a favorite in my house. Completely delicious and refreshing.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
@sarah You’re correct. As we mentioned in the note under the video, it’s an encore presentation of one of our favorites. Glad that you enjoy this recipe and we hope new visitors to our blog will feel inspired to make it as well!
March 9th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I’ve been buying WFs (conventional) asparagus nearly every week of late; @ $2.99 lb it’s a great deal. Plus, I’m not nervous about eating non-organic asparagus because it’s rarely treated with pesticides.
March 9th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I know quinua is an excellent and nutritional food, but I will like know if is safe for people with diabetes, a friend of mine said that will elevate the sugar in blood. PLEASE CONFIRM
March 11th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I have to say that asparagus is a product where herbicides are used in heavy doses.
March 12th, 2009 at 5:34 am
The recipe is fine, and I do love quinoa.
But the video itself was irritating. That “perky” music was too distracting and loud, and it made me feel like I was watching one of those horrid late-night infomercials sellling the beauty cream or the gym treadmills. Better to use lower volume on the music and choose some quiet restful music (like some classical chamber music), not exercising-in-the-gym music.
Also, I am always shocked when pieces are not edited for proper language usage and grammar. And the cook in this video made a real language error when he said “similar” instead of “similarly”. You might not have been taught to use language grammatically, but to well-educated people who have been, that sort of mistake sticks out and is as irritating and distracting as hearing someone scraping fingernails across a blackboard.
Please, for future videos have a decent language editor watch them before releasing them. And do away with the exercising music or change it to something mellow and calming, at a much lower volume. I could hardly pay attention to the recipe with that going on.
Otherwise, the recipe and demonstration won’t be watched all the way through. Which would be a shame, as the recipe itself looks fine.
Thank you for listening to my suggestions for improving future videos.
March 12th, 2009 at 9:05 am
I am a new user of your newsletter. I find it extremely helpful and informative. The secret ingredient – quinoa – is new to me and I look forward to trying out the recipe with the chicken,asparagus, peas and spinach. Keep up the good work!!
March 13th, 2009 at 9:44 am
This link says fewer pesticides are used on asparagus because they are less susceptible to pests.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808
March 13th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
will thoroughly enjoy this for years. the combination of the quinoa with onion, peas, chicken, asparagus and spinach looks / sounds just great. it is too bad that the music was such a distraction to d reeder. i guess i am so accustomed to this that i really didn’t notice. or maybe too absorbed in the food preparation.
March 16th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Video very distracting. Info very good. Never tried quinua but intend to because the recipe looks good and nutrition info interesting. Please include more recipes, if possible, for quinua.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Price of Quinoa- I love quinoa, and have noticed the price has been escalating rapidly- what is going on, is there a shortage, is there a sustainability issue?
Thanks!!!
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:59 am
@Tanya I’ve done some research and a combination of a short crop (due to weather conditions) and increased demand in 2008 has driven prices up. For more information, check out: http://www.andeannaturals.com/AN/News/Entries/2008/8/28_Unprocessed_quinoa_prices_almost_triple_in_2008.html
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I would like to know if you hava ever used Black Quinoa?
I found some in a market, and have not tried it yet.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I have used this recepie with black quinoa, its a little more crunchy and i preffer it. Black quinoa is crunchier in texture and has a stronger grain-like flavor.
April 11th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I liked the way they showed how easy it is to cook quinua. I cook it in different forms, and the truth is that the grain absorbs flavors easily, and it has a mild yet pleasant flavor, making it easy to combine with vegetables or white meat.
Not to be fastidious, but I would like to comment on the pronounciation of the cook. The word quinua comes from a spanish interpretation of a quechua word. In both languages, the accent is placed on the first syllable, not the last one. The way they pronounce it in the video makes it sound french, instead.
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I do like quinua and sometimes serve it instead of rice with my curry. Has anyone tried that? If not I advise it
June 20th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Cous Cous is far nicer. I’ve tried and tried to like quinoa but i guess its just not for me.
June 25th, 2009 at 6:18 am
I made this meal as a side without the chicken but instead added fresh rosemary and italian parsley. It was delicious alongside grilled haddock and a fresh salad. I think the addition of more flavor using herbs contributed significantly.
July 27th, 2009 at 2:22 pm