QUINOA: FOOD WITH A FOOT

My brother refers to quinoa as ‘food with a foot’ and gets a little weirded out by the way it looks when it’s cooked…I happen to think it’s fantastic.  Yes, fantastic.  Nutritionally, it adds tremendous protein (since it is technically a seed and not a grain) and the texture, in my opinion, is perfect.  It is practically impossible to mess up and can be seasoned in a wide variety of ways.

Cooking Quinoa

Yields approx. 2 cups cooked

1 cup quinoa (rinse it first)

2 cups water or stock (veggie, chicken, whatever)

¼ tsp salt (easy on the salt if using seasoned stock)

Bring stock or water, salt to boil with quinoa.  Lower to simmer and cook about 15 min until liquid is absorbed.  

Here’s how I jazz it up

Italian style

2-5 fresh garlic cloves, minced (don’t use that stuff in a jar)

Olive oil to coat the bottom of a pan (does anyone really measure olive oil?)

Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade (if you want to get fancy)

1. Over medium heat, sauté garlic and oil until fragrant, be careful not to burn
2. Add cooked quinoa to pan and coat with garlic and oil.
3. Finish with cheese and basil, as much as you like
4. Salt and pepper to taste

Asian style

2-5 fresh garlic cloves, minced (I can’t help myself)

Sesame oil* (this stuff is potent, only use a few teaspoons to coat the pan!)

1-2 tbsp fresh grated ginger

¼ cup (approx.) chopped scallions or green onions

Soy sauce to taste

1. Over medium heat, sauté garlic and oil until fragrant, be careful not to burn
2. Add ginger to oil and cook until fragrant
3. Add cooked quinoa and coat with ginger, garlic, oil mixture
4. Finish with scallions/green onions
5. Season with soy to taste

Mexican style

Jalapeno, Habanaro*, Serrano peppers; seeded and chopped

Vegetable or olive oil (enough to coat a medium skillet/frying pan)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1. Over medium heat, sauté peppers and oil
2. Add cooked quinoa and coat with peppers/oil
3. Mix in chili powder and cumin
4. Salt and pepper to taste

*wicked spicy

Add More?

To make this more of a complete meal, add some shrimp, tofu, chicken, pork or beef to any dish and adjust the seasonings.  Add some black beans or top with avocado to the Mexican style for more flavor and texture. 

Don’t worry so much about exact measurements of seasonings.  Cook your food the way you like it.

Enjoy and check back for more!

MJM