Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has the highest nutritional profile and cooks the fastest of all grains. It’s an extremely high-energy grain and has been grown and consumed for about 8,000 years on the high plains of the Andes Mountains in South America. I personally even use it as a rice substitute with all my favorite Indian curries too.
Some Benefits of Quinoa
USES AND PREPARATION
When quinoa is cooked, the outer germ surrounding the seed breaks open to form a crunchy coil, while the inner grain becomes soft and translucent. This double texture makes it delicious, versatile, and fun to eat. To save time, cook a lot of quinoa at once, and eat it as leftovers. Quinoa can be reheated with a splash of soy or nut milk for breakfast porridge; you can add dried fruit, nuts, and cinnamon
for a sweet treat. Add finely chopped raw vegetables and dressing for a cooling salad, or add chopped, cooked, root vegetables for a warming side dish.
Store uncooked quinoa in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly closed glass jar for up to one year.
Before cooking, quinoa must be rinsed to remove the toxic, naturally-occurring bitter coating called saponin. Saponin, when removed from quinoa, produces a soapy solution in water. Quinoa is rinsed before it’s packaged and sold, but it’s best to rinse again at home before use. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with water.
EASY QUINOA SALAD
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
PREP TIME 5 min COOK TIME 15-20 min YIELD 6 servings