# 6 Quinoa Flatbread

Quinoa, gluten free, ancient seed originally from South America became my friend from the first bite I had it many years ago. Since that it has been a stable food in my diet and a basic ingredient in baking and cooking. Quinoa is a complete protein containing all the eight essential amino acids, and that's a reason why you often find it on the vegetarian menu. Quinoa is also a low-allergy food and easily digestible, that's why it is an excellent food for toddlers and also for elderly. Quinoa seeds have a bitter taste, since they contain natural phytonutrients, saponins. You can easily reduce the saponins by washing/rubbing/soaking quinoa well. I don't mind having some bitterness in my bread since these saponins have anti-inflammatory properties, and I think after awhile you just get to used to that taste. In quinoa flakes and - flours I don't notice the bitterness, but not all quinoa flours taste the same, so probably you must test and trial a couple of brands before you find your favourite.
This flatbread recipe is one of the first recipes I created.


Intermediate 1 for sulphite/sulfite issues. Quinoa is high in thiols and sulphur/sulfur and might give problems during the elimination diet.

Quinoa flatbreads, makes about 10-12

4 dl or 1 3/4 cups of Quinoa flakes
1 dl or 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. of Quinoa flour
2 dl or 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp. of Brown rice flour
1 tsp. of Himalaya salt
3 1/2 dl or 1 1/2 cups of Water 

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl well and add water until you have a smooth mixture. Cover the baking tray with a good quality baking paper and put taplespoons of the mixture on the paper and spread circles which are about 0,5 cm high.

Bake in the oven 180 C or 350 F, about 12-15 minutes.

The Quinoa flatbreads will keep well about one week in the fridge and for longer in the freezer.

To make a complete vegetarian light lunch I made a simple avocado-hempseed butter for these quinoa flatbreads and served them with cucumbers and papaya slices.

Avocado-Hempseed Butter:

1 avocado
3 Tbsp. of Hempseeds
2 Tbsp. of fresh Lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of fresh Lime juice
pinch of Celtic sea salt

Cut the avocado in half and take the seed out and take the flesh out with a spoon. Mash the avocado in a large bowl with a fork and add hempseeds, freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice and a pinch of salt and mix well. Alternatively mix everything in a mixer.
Serve with the flatbreads. 

Enjoy!

* Quinoa was one the foods I was able to eat also during the strict elimination diet I did for sulphite/sulfite issues, even though I avoided most of the other high sulphur/sulfur foods.