The red color of the inflorescences is due to a high content of betacyanins, like in the related species known as "Hopi Red Dye" amaranth.
Ornamental garden varieties sold under the latter name are either Amaranthus cruentus or a hybrid between A. cruentus and Amaranthus powelli. In indigenous agriculture, Amaranthus cruentus is the Central American counterpart to South American Amaranthus caudatus.

caudatus can grow anywhere from 3 to 8 feet in height, and grows best in full sun. It can handle a variety of conditions, both humid and arid.

Amaranthus cruentus is a common flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. It is one of three Amaranthus species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being A. hypochondriacus and A. caudatus.
It has several common names, including purple amaranth, red amaranth, and Mexican grain amaranth.

Amaranthus cruentus is a tall annual herb topped with clusters of dark pink flowers. The plant can grow up to 2 m (6 ft) in height, and blooms in summer to fall. It has now naturalized in most states. It is believed to have originated from Amaranthus hybridus, with which it shares many morphological features. This species was in use as a food source in Central America as early as 4000 BC. The plant is usually green in color, but a purple variant was once grown for use in Inca rituals.

Uses
The seeds are eaten as a cereal grain. They are black in the wild plant, and white in the domesticated form. They are ground into flour, popped like popcorn, cooked into a porridge, and made into a confectionery called alegría. The leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the seeds can be germinated into nutritious sprouts. While A. cruentus is no longer a staple food, it is still grown and sold as a health food.

It is an important crop for subsistence farmers in Africa.

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Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. Quinoa is generally undemanding and altitude-hardy, so it can be easily cultivated in the Andes up to about 4,000 meters.
Even so, it grows best in well-drained soils and requires a relatively long growing season. In eastern North America, it is susceptible to a leaf miner that may reduce crop success; this leaf miner also affects the common weed Chenopodium album, but C. album is much more resistant.

Similar Chenopodium species, such as Pitseed Goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri) and Fat Hen (Chenopodium album) were grown and domesticated in North America as part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex before maize agriculture became popular. Fat Hen, which has a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, produces edible seeds and greens much like quinoa, but in lower quantities.
Caution should be exercised in collecting this weed, however, because when growing in heavily fertilized agricultural fields it can accumulate dangerously high concentrations of nitrates.

Chenopodiums were also used in Europe as greens.

Wild distribution
Chenopodium quinoa (and a related species from Mexico, Chenopodium nuttalliae) is most familiar as a fully domesticated plant, but it was believed to have been domesticated in the Andes from wild populations of Chenopodium quinoa. There are non-cultivated quinoa plants (Chenopodium quinoa var.
melanospermum) which grow in the same area where it is cultivated, which probably are related to the wild progenitors, but which could instead be the descendents of cultivated plants.

The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'.
During the European conquest of South America quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies.

On another religious note, quinoa is considered by many Jews to be kosher for Passover, if properly processed.

Nutritional value
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize.
In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content (12%–18%) is very high.
Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff.
This means that unlike wheat protein, one does not need to supplement it with complementary foods such as legumes containing the other essential amino acids. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.
Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Saponin content

In its natural state quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it essentially unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating. Some have speculated that this bitter coating may have caused the Europeans who first encountered quinoa to reject it as a food source, even as they adopted other indigenous products of the Americas like maize and potatoes.
However, this bitterness has beneficial effects in terms of cultivation, as it is a crop that is relatively untouched by birds and thus requires minimal protection.
There have been attempts made to lower the saponin content of quinoa through selective breeding in order to produce sweeter and more palatable varieties of the crop. However, when these varieties were introduced by agronomists to native growers in the high plateau, they were rejected after just one season.
The growers returned to their traditional high saponin varieties, the reason being that despite the newer varieties giving 'magnificent' yields, birds had consumed the entire crop.

The saponin content in quinoa can be mildly toxic, as can be the oxalic acid content found in the leaves of all of the chenopodium family. However, the risks associated with quinoa are minimal provided that it is properly prepared and leaves are not eaten to excess.

Preparation

Quinoa is an easy food to prepare, has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.

The first step in preparing quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking again, or rinsing it in ample running water either in a fine strainer or in cheesecloth. Boxed quinoa typically has been pre-rinsed for convenience.

A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed.
The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa.

Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.

Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.

Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour, tapioca, and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch. Quinoa flour can be used as a filling for chocolate.

Lastly, quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value.
Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin and mineral content. In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: only 2-4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, eg., 12 hours overnight with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods.

Name
The name ultimately comes from the Quechua kinua or kinoa. There are multiple other native names in South America:

Quechua: ayara, kiuna, kuchikinwa, achita, kinua, kinoa, chisaya mama
Aymara: supha, jopa, jupha, juira, ära, qallapi, vocali
Chibchan: suba, pasca
Mapudungun: dawe, sawe

INGREDIENTS

ASPARAGUS WITH QUINOA

2 Cups quinoa
1 pinch pepper
4 Tablespoons oil
1 Can medium esparagus
1 Loaf of bread
3 Eggs
1/4 Yucca flour
1/2 Tablespoon wheat flour
1 Cup diluted milk
1 Pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoon quinoa flour
Sal to taste
PREPARATION
Brown the quinoa and flours with oil and add milk. Melt butter in a pan and quickly fry the pices of bread. Place one asparagud on each bread and put some of the mix made vefore with a new mix made of eggs, pepper, nutmeg and salt.
As soon as you finish doing this, gild the bread en the oven for 10 minutes.
These breads can be served decorated with chopped asparagus tips and the sause made before.

QUINUA TABULEE

200 g basic recipe
2 Carrots
2 Baby corns
1 Onion
1 Red pepper
French sauce
Olive oil to taste
Chives
PREPARATION
Fry the red pepper end the carrots for 3 minutes.
Mix tehe thin grated onion with the French dauce.
Finally, combine the grained quinoa with the vegetables and add sliced thin chives.

QUINUA FLAKES SOUP

1 Cup quinua flakes
1 Cup cream
11/2 onions
Parsley to taste
1 Handful wheat flour
2 Tablespoons oil
Celery to taste
1 Carrot
PREPARATION
prepare the basic soup with vegetables, the onions have to be roasted.
Take out the vegetables and liquefy them.
Add slowly the quinua flakes into the remaning soup and cook on heat until it is well done.
Once the quinua flakes are well cooked, add the liquefied vegetables and condiments.
Before removing it from heat, add cream ajd beat it slowly for five minutes.
Remove from heat and add toasted oniond or mushrooms to taste.

QUINUA SOUP

1/2 Cup quinua
5 potatoes
1 onion
salt and condimets to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon baking power
1/16 teaspoon ammoniac
1/4 cup quinua water
2 eggs
sal to taste
PREPARATION
Roast the onion and boli it with quinua. When qhe quinua es almost done,
add vegetables and condiments.
After 10 minutes, add chopped potatoes and salt to taste.

QUINOA PANCAKES OR CREPES

1/2 tablespoon quinoa flour
1/2 tablespoon yucca flour
2 tablespoon wheat flour
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon baking power
1/16 teaspoon ammoniac
1/4 cup quinoa water
2 eggs
salt to taste
PREPARATION
Stiff quinoa and yucca flours then add baking power, ammoniac and salt.
Place on a pan oil and butter and after they are cool add eggs until a paste is formed,
then combine it whith the flours mix and quinoa water until you get a sticky paste.
Fry both sedes of the paste in hot pan with oil. Remove it from heat.
Serve then with any stuffing.

QUINOA COOKIES

1cup quinoa flour
1/2 teaspoon ammoniac
1/4lb. Shortering
1 cup warm water
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

PREPARATION
Stiff quinoa and wheat flour, add ammoniac, cinnamon, and all the ingrdients altering liquids anad solids, until getting a soft dough.
Roll out thin and cut into desired shapes.
Bake al medium heat in oven.
Let them rest and put some power sugar on top of each cookie.

BAKED QUINOA PIE

6 cups cooked quinoa
3 eggs
4 teaspoons baking power
1/4 cup oil
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3 cups ground bread
3 cheeses
1 teaspoon ammoniac
11/2 cup sugar
PREPARATION
In a recipient, squeeze the quinoa and combine it with sugar, baking power, ammoniac, bread, orange, salt, and oil (all in half).
Beat the eggs and mix then with the remaning ingredients until a creamy paste es formed.
Combine this with the mix done berfore.
Poor into grased and floured pan one layer of quinoa pastry and then one layer of grated cheese.
Repeat these steps as necessary. Place in oven and bake on midium heat.
Let it rest and serve in slices

Hawaiin-Quinoa recipe
serves 2-4 people

1 cup quinoa
1 cup pineapple liquid (drained from canned pineapple, for example)
1 cup water
1 medium yam (orange flesh, around 1/2 lb)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup currants

- dice the yam (1/2 - 3/4 inch dice) and steam for five minutes OR microwave for five minutes then dice

- add all ingredients except currants to a pot boil then simmer for around 15 minutes. Stir occasionally

- add currants and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes until all liquid is absorbed, the endosperm has uncurled, and the quinoa is al dente.

Homestyle Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 package Gimme Lean Beef Flavored meat substitute
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed vegetable broth or wine for sauteeing
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (start with 1/8 teaspoon and add as you like)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
Fresh Parsley, minced
Fresh Cilantro, minced (I left it out 'cause I can't stand it)

In a non-stick dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in veggie broth for two-three minutes. Add the Gimme Lean, breaking it up with the spatula as it cooks. (Use more veggie broth as needed). Let this cook for about five minutes while you prepare the quinoa:

Rinse the quinoa in cold water and drain. Bring the two cups water to boil and add the quinoa. Cook 10-15 minutes, until quinoa has absorbed the water and you can see the white germ ring.

While the quinoa is cooking, add the remaining ingredients (except the spices) to the dutch oven and stir while cooking. When the quinoa is cooked, add it to the dutch oven and stir to combine. Add herbs and spices and cook a few minutes more to soften the parsley. Taste and re-spice as needed.

Quinoa and beans

1 cup dry quinoa
1 can peeled cut tomatoes
1 can beans (I've used pinto, black, and kidney)
1 can hominy
spices - garlic, onion, parsley, basil, thyme

Cook quinoa w/ 2 cups water. Add tomatoes, beans, hominy and spices and keep on low heat until all is hot.

Quinoa Salad
6 servings.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed several times just before cooking
2 cups water
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 carrot, scrubbed and diced (can be steamed briefly or not)
6 scallions, roots and wood stem removed, minced
1/4 cup cooked corn (I just thawed some frozen kernels)
1/2 cup currants
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (or cilantro)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

Bring water to a boil in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, replace cover, and let sit off of heat for 5 minutes. Place quinoa in a large mixing bowl to cool.

Saute the garlic in saute liquid of choice for 2 minutes. Add the cumin and saute another minute. Add sweetener, stir to melt, remove from heat, and allow to cool. Add lemon juice and vinegars. Mix well and pour onto quinoa, along with the vegetables, parsley, and currants. Mix gently but
thoroughly. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator to chill.
Serve on a bed of greens.

Quinoa Salsa

1 cup quinoa - rinsed!
2 cups (?) water or "broth"
as much fresh cilantro as you can stand, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped or to taste
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped

Bring the broth or water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce to a simmer; cook for 15 to 20 minutes. When the quinoa is tender, remove from heat and drain off any excess water. Cool for a while and mix all ingredients together. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to
allow flavors to blend.

Wild Rice/Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup wild rice
1 to 1 1/2 cups water and/or broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water and/or broth
3 or 4 whole scallions, trimmed and chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers, diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Add wild rice to boiling water/broth and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Add well-rinsed quinoa to boiling water/broth and simmer until all liquid is absorbed. I forgot to notice how long this takes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the wild rice, quinoa, scallions, garlic, roasted peppers, vinegar, parsley, mustard, pepper and salt.
This salad really tastes best room temperature.

In the original recipe, he calls for 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and fresh parsley rather than parsley flakes. I took it as written above to a dinner party of non-vegetarians, and had several requests for the recipe.

LINK RECIPES QUINOA