Cooked Quinoa

Cooked Quinoa

Quinoa is actually a seed from South America. It’s super high in protein and has a lovely ‘chewy’ texture. It only takes about 15 mintues to cook but I like to make a batch on the weekends to use for breakfasts and lunches during the week. It’s great both with sweet and savoury seasonings.

takes: about 20 minutes
makes: about double the dried weight
approx 250g / 7oz quinoa

1. Bring a medium pot of water to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, Place quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse well under running water. Drain.

3. When the water is boiling, add the quinoa and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa is almost tender.

4. Drain and allow to steam and cool.

5. Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Variations

different colours – quinoa comes in red, black and white. I’ve used a combo of all three in the picture. To be honest I can’t taste much of a difference between the different varieties.

savoury – season the hot, drained quinoa with a few tablespoons each of extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar and soy sauce.

sweet – season the hot drained quinoa with a few pinches of brown sugar and a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. You could also simmer a cinnamon stick in with the quinoa.

milky – simmer in milk or half milk half water instead of just using straight water. A cinnamon stick or vanilla bean wouldn’t go astray.

can’t find quinoa? – you could do the same thing with brown rice or barley or even spelt. The cooking times will vary for larger grains, probably more like 30-45 minutes or even longer.

Usage Suggestions

breakfast – serve either cold or warm with natural yoghurt, berries and possibly some roasted almonds.

carby side – serve anywhere you’d normally serve steamed rice such as curries, stir frys or slow cooked dishes.

egg fried quinoa – brilliant alternative to rice in Fergal’s Egg & Pea Fried Rice.

salad – use cooked quinoa in any salad that called for canned lentils or beans such as salmon & butter beans or this brown rice salad. Note: one can = 240g (9oz) cooked quinoa.

broccolini salad – one of my all time favourites.

Prepare Ahead?

Absolutely. Takes about 20 minutes. I like to make up a big batch to have on hand for quick meals during the week.

Storage Best Practices

Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or so. Can be frozen for up to 12 months.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

quinoa – pantry.

Problem Solving Guide

hard / crunchy – sounds like undercooked quinoa, pop back in the saucepan with some fresh water and simmer until tender.

sticking together – this hasn’t ever happened to me, but I assume if you overcook quinoa it could turn mushy. Not much you can do at this stage. But next time set yout timer and be more vigilant.

bland – it’s important to season the quinoa before using. You can go either sweet or savoury.

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