Quinoa Flour in baking - A NOTE

Due to Quinoa's bitter/soapy, earthy, and grassy flavor, it easily overpowers other ingredients in a recipe. This is partially due to saponin, a toxic glycoside (a compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule. Many drugs and poisons derived from plants are glycosides) that coats the outer layer of the quinoa seed. Saponin can be either washed off or removed by abrasion. It is usually rinsed before it is sold commercially, but not thorough enough. Some trace of saponin still remains. There's also phytic acid, which gets in the way of the absorption of minerals in the digestive tract - this is removed partially by heat treating but requires fermentation and sprouting to more thoroughly break it down.

The saponin isn't a problem if you are buying quinoa seeds to cook. You just rinse the quinoa well before cooking to get rid of soapy flavor. But milled as flour and included in a recipe, the saponin becomes a problem. The grains soapy/bitter flavor will spoil everything. It can be a gatecrasher and ruin the recipe.

There's a simple solution to this, a solution that not only takes care of the bitterness and grassy flavors, but also inactivates trypsin inhibitor, a compound that reduces the bio-availability of trypsin, an enzyme which helps hydrolyse proteins (this is especially important for lysine, an amino acid that is vital to human health and is most commonly found in beans and dairy but occurs in quinoa in high levels).

You're oven is the solution. 

* Toasting quinoa flour does away with its strong smell, saponin flavor and brings out its rich nutty flavor. To toast, place the flour on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread into a layer no more than 1/4 inch. Bake at 220 degrees for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. OR to bake quicker, this is a good test of results it seems - http://parttimehealthnut.com/2013/01/15/how-to-make-fast-and-good-quinoa-flour/

Quinoa is worth it. Its protein and fiber content is higher than wheat. It has fewer carbs than wheat and it is packed with vitamins and minerals. It works like pastry flour in baked goods and works well combined with other flours. Baking the quinoa may be an extra step, but it is easy and will make your baked goods better tasting and better for you. And it is that nutty flavor that is most loved anyway, so it must be brought out and complement a dessert!

I wonder if pairing Quinoa flour with Spelt flour would be good for an extra nutty flavored tart crust --- two better digestible forms of flour.

Using Quinoa flour for tarts sounds like a perfect fit. Especially pairing it with cream cheese or maybe even Mascarpone. Also... using the seeds for Quinoa Pudding with fruit is a healthy dessert!

SUMMER. HEALTHIER. ALLERGY FRIENDLY. DIGESTIBLE.