Kee-no-wa!

Yesterday I decided to make some Quinoa, wanted a lil' change from brown rice. Quinoa is a very versatile grain (like rice) there are many recipes in which Quinoa can be incorporated in; vegetarian stew, salads, pilafs... And not only is quinoa goOod but it is also goOod for you, it has the highest protein content of any grain (1 cup of cooked Quinoa has 8g of protein).

How to Cook Quinoa:

1. In a cooking-pot soak 1 cup of Quinoa in water for about 30 minutes. Soaking helps loosen the outer coating (saponin) of the Quinoa , which can give it a bitter taste.

2. Drain the Quinoa well in a strainer, transfer to a cooking-pot, add 1- 1/2 cups of water (many recipes call for 1/2 tsp if desired). I don't add any salt that way I can season it to my liking when I use it. I have been wanting to make a Quinoa pudding and that wouldn't be too good if I used salty Quinoa.

3. Cover and cook at medium heat,  I used level 3 in stove top, for about 25 minutes.

4. If it looks a bit wet allow it to cook for a couple more minutes. After 25 minutes it was perfectly done for me. Once you see its nice and fluffy, remove from stovetop and let cool with the cover on for five minutes.

5. You should have great Qunioa!

(Note: 1 cup of dry Quinoa will procude 3 cups cooked)

Once it was completely cooled I was able to refrigerate it. Now I can use it for lunch and dinner! Having things pre-cooked is a good way to make life a bit less stressful. I can have many a quick and healthy meals by having the Qunioa already prepared.

 

I made this lunch in less than 15 minutes! Just added some tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the Quinoa and topped it off with a Gardeins Tuscan Breast.