As a healthy addition to any meal, quinoa is a gluten-free, mineral-rich seed that is high in protein and easy to cook. One thing that sets quinoa apart from other plants is that it contains all nine of the essential amino acids needed to make it a complete protein.
To prepare quinoa just rinse and put one part quinoa to two parts water or stock into a pot along with a bit of salt. Bring the mixture to boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. The cooking time will vary between 10-20 minutes based on quantity. Once the water is absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This will help it become fluffy and easy to use.
Quinoa can be used in place of rice or other whole grains dishes such as rice bowls or pilafs. You can combine quinoa with fruit for breakfast or with vegetables and seasonings for lunch and dinner. Below are few ideas to try:
Breakfast
For breakfast, combine cooked quinoa with soy milk, cinnamon, walnuts, strawberries (bananas, blueberries, or other fruit) and then add a touch of vanilla and honey.
Lunch
A fresh lunch salad can be made by combining cooked quinoa with chickpeas, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, parsley leaves, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey, salt, and pepper.
Dinner
For a hardy Mexican dish take quinoa cooked in vegetable broth and add black beans, corn, fire roasted diced tomatoes, minced garlic, minced jalapeno, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Then serve topped with cilantro and cubes of avocado.
If these recipes aren’t your style, search the internet for a variety of other recipes you could try that better suits your taste. Let us know if you have a favorite quinoa recipe you’d like to share.