Quinoa

This is the first time I've made quinoa. It's pronounced "keen-wah", and is so new to American palates that my spell-checker doesn't recognize it. Quinoa. Argh. (It doesn't recognize "argh" either.)

Quinoa looks and acts like a grain. For a more in-depth discussion, see its Wikipedia page. It's very nutritious, and not as high-maintenance to make as beans, though you need to soak it first to remove the soapy toxins on the surface. Don't panic. The green parts of potatoes are poisonous, too, and raw lima beans contain cyanide. Over the centuries, we've just gotten used to cooking poisonous foods in a way that eliminates all risk.

Basically, you cook and serve quinoa like you would rice. The benefit is that you get a complete set of proteins like what you would get in eggs, but not a lot of fat and a decent amount of fiber. Like rice, it doesn't have much taste of its own, so it is best used as a base for other grain-related dishes. There are numerous blogs and websites devoted entirely to the ingredient. Google "quinoa recipes". I'm just giving you the basic, unflavored version.

1 C quinoa

Water

dash salt

1. Place quinoa in saucepan and cover with water. If using boxed, processed quinoa, soak for 15 minutes. Unprocessed, soak for at least 2 hours. Drain off all water and rinse using a fine-meshed sieve or a colander lined with a thin cloth (a cloth napkin or dish towel is fine).

2. Return quinoa to saucepan and add 1-1/2 C water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve, or use in recipes requiring pre-cooked quinoa.

Difficulty rating  π