If you are health conscious, you may want to consider adding quinoa to your diet. Although it is not actually a grain, it has been referred to as the “mother of all grains”. Quinoa is not a part of the grass family, but rather is a seed related to spinach. Not only is quinoa lighter than most grains it is also much higher in protein. You often hear quinoa referred to as a grain because it is treated like one in cooking. Often, it is used as a substitute fore pasta, rice and oatmeal. The good news is that it is very easy to cook quinoa. Here are some simple methods to get you started.
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The first step to cooking quinoa is to soak the quinoa. Because it softens the seeds, this helps to make sure that the quinoa cooks evenly. When you soak your quinoa you begin to loosen the soapy saponin from the surface of the quinoa. If you are pressed for time just soak the quinoa for five minutes in warm water. You rinse the quinoa you will need to use a fine metal colander. If your colander has holes that are too big for quinoa, you can line it with cheesecloth. You will want to rinse the quinoa until the water runs clear, about three or four minutes. You will want to drain the quinoa and place it into a pot with about twice as much liquid as quinoa. If desired, you may add salt to taste. Bring the quinoa and liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low to simmer. You will want to cook the quinoa covered until all liquid is absorbed. This should take around 15 minutes. Take your quinoa pot off the stove and allow it to sit covered for another five minutes. Your quinoa is now ready to be made into a great quinoa salad, added into your favorite black bean recipe or any other recipe that you choose.
