How I Cook Quinoa

Good morning! How are you today?I hope you all have a nice weekend. I for one am very excited to announce my first 10km race on Sunday. As one of my runner friends, Diego, said to me the other day “Training is done. Now it’s showtime!”

So wish me good luck! :)

Now, let me ask you this – Have you heard of quinoa? I really hope you have.

Short story long about Quinoa

Although quinoa has been called “the mother grain”, it’s basically a seed (NOT a grain) used in all the same ways as the other whole grains.
Over the past years, the popularity of quinoa has grown steadily as so many people have discovered its delicious nutty taste and superfood qualities. As a complete protein source (it has all 9 essential amino acids) also high in iron, magnesium, and fiber, quinoa is one of the healthiest pantry staples you should have too. So go and buy it this weekend.

I’ve read that there are over a thousand varieties of quinoa, but there are three main types found in supermarkets (at least here in Germany): white, red, and mix (white, red and black). White quinoa has the most neutral flavor, so I highly recommend you start with this one ( if you’ve never tried quinoa before). Red and the mix quinoa both have their own distinct personalities, and I find them a bit earthier in flavor than white quinoa. I personally LOVE them!

I use quinoa on a regular basis (and I mean a few days a week) not just because I love how it tastes but it’s very easy and quick to cook. So if you are a busy cook too, then quinoa is a dream come true – ready in only 15 minutes!

Funny fact: I realized recently that I was pronouncing it wrong. So learn from my mistakes and keep in mind that quinoa is pronounced KEEN-wah.

Where Do I Use Quinoa?

Basically, I use quinoa as a side dish for lots of our meals – in salads, next to grilled salmon, with potatoes (that’s one of my favorite snack recipes), in my acai granola bowl for breakfast and even in my crumble.

There are many methods on how to cook quinoa, but this is the one I prefer.

1. Rinse and drain quinoa before cooking. Nowadays, quinoa is often pre-rinsed, but it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home.
2. Place 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water into a saucepan. For example, 2 cups quinoa would require 4 cups of water.
3. Bring water to a boil, add quinoa, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and covered the saucepan on the burner for another few more minutes (maximum 5 minutes).

That’s all! So easy and quick, right?! What I also like to do is – I make a batch of quinoa (about 500gr a week) and keep it in the fridge up to four days. Then I pair it with other legumes (my favorite one is black lentils) or use them as fillers in salads, wraps, or muesli breakfast.

Just so you know the possibilities are endless. Get creative and use quinoa this weekend. Don’t forget to drop me a line how much you like it.