How to Make Fluffy Quinoa
One of my favorite foods of all-time is quinoa (KEEN-wah). People often ask me what it is and how to prepare it so that it tastes good. In fact, the neighborhood kids come over and ask for my quinoa since they like mine best. I'll share all my secrets with you! First, there's much to share about this miraculous little seed. Yep, I said seed, not grain! 😉
Quinoa is a seed that is:
- gluten-free
- easily digested
- protein-rich
- highly versatile (can replace any grain in a recipe)
- grown at an altitude of 13,000 feet in the high plains of South America’s Andes Mountains for more than 6000 years
- known for increasing the stamina of the Inca warriors
- a good source of B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E
- strengthening to the kidneys, heart, and lungs
- classified by the United Nations as a supercrop for it’s high protein content (8 grams per 1/2 cup, cooked)
- cooked in just 15 minutes with the method below (Be sure to soak or rinse to remove the bitter saponins that protect the seed from insects)
Fun Fact: Did you know that as a chenopod, quinoa is related to beets, spinach and Swiss chard?!
Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa
By Allison Rivers
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
3 1/2 cups water, divided
Directions
1. Either soak quinoa overnight in 2 cups of water or rinse quinoa as you massage it to remove the bitter saponin coating. Drain and rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Place quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 minutes.
3. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately or transfer to an uncovered heat-proof container and cool.
Pro-tip
- You can even make quinoa milk!
© Recipe by Allison Rivers, MSW Coach, award-winning vegan chef, author of Quick + Easy DIY Salad Bar, The Dairy-Freedom Cookbook, Comfortably Yum, and Co-Founder of The Dairy Detox.
