Quinoa is a great carb option to include in your diet it is a seed and is considered part of a small group of grains called pseudo-cereals, along with amaranth and buckwheat. It’s a smart carb choice because it is super rich in fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and protein. It is also gluten-free, delicious, versatile, and incredibly easy to prepare. You can definitely enjoy quinoa any time of day. You can cook it in bulk and store it in the fridge for an easy meal prep. Before you begin cooking, you need to figure out how much cooked quinoa you want to end up with. Quinoa increases three times in size when cooked, so if you want to end up with 3 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 1 cup of dry quinoa. To cook the quinoa, you will use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, or 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry quinoa. You can use another liquid besides water, such as vegetable, or mushroom broth, which will add a nice flavour to the finished dish.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa (any type),
1 teaspoon salted butter,
1 3/4 cups broth,
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Instructions:
Rinse quinoa in a fine metal strainer with running water for about 3 to 5 min, or until the water runs clear. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the drained quinoa and the broth, cook stirring constantly.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 10-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pot from heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs if desire, let it sit covered for additional 5 minutes. Fluff and add to your favourite dishes.
Quinoa Facts
How much cooked quinoa does one cup dry quinoa yield? One cup dry quinoa yields about three cups cooked quinoa.
How much liquid do I need to cook quinoa? for one cup, you need 1 3/4 cups liquid.
How long does it take to cook quinoa? One cup quinoa will cook in about 20 minutes.
How do I make better-tasting quinoa? Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or mushroom broth add butter for a richer taste. Also, add about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to each cup dried quinoa when cooking. Add other spices and aromatics during cooking as well, like a dash of black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, parsley, dill or cumin.
Can I use my rice cooker to make quinoa? Yes, you can see the same liquid-to-quinoa ratio and follow the instructions on your rice cooker.
Enjoy!