Quinoa is a superfood, rich in nutrients and fibre. And it’s so easy to prepare at home, taking just 15-20 minutes to cook. You can make a big batch, store it in the fridge for up to three days for quick meals, or even freeze cooked quinoa for later use.
One cup of cooked quinoa has only 222 calories, but packs 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fibre. That’s more fibre than an equivalent amount of brown rice! It has lots of vitamins and minerals, and is a really good source of magnesium, iron and zinc, as well as B vitamins and folate.
Quinoa is a gluten-free edible seed of the goosefoot family, related to spinach and beets! It is available as red, white or black varieties, which are similar to cook. The important thing about cooking quinoa at home is it does taste better when it has been well-rinsed before cooking. That’s because the seeds have a somewhat bitter soapy coating, called saponin, which is easily rinsed off under cool running water.
To cook quinoa, use 1 cup rinsed seeds to 2 cups water with a pinch of salt added. Bring to a boil in a covered pot, and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, remove from heat and fluff up with a fork. It’s ready!
Quinoa can be added to any salad to boost protein and heft, or to any soup. Cooked quinoa can replace rice or other starchy foods on your plate.
Here are some easy ways we like to use it:
QUINOA BREAKFAST PORRIDGE
Top 1 cup cooked quinoa with fruit, nuts, cinnamon and coconut milk. This is nice warm or cold.
MEXICAN STYLE QUINOA BOWL
Top cooked quinoa with avocado, peppers, salsa, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) and a squeeze of lime. An easy lunch!
ASIAN FLAVOURED BOWL
Top quinoa with cooked shitake mushrooms, snowpeas, slivered cooked chicken and green onions. Drizzle with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.
LENTIL VEGETARIAN MAIN COURSE
Combine equal amounts of cooked quinoa and cooked lentils. Top with roasted veggie chunks, scallions, fresh herbs and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. This vegan dish packs lots of protein.
Some other quick and easy ways to use quinoa:
Use quinoa instead of rice in stuffed pepper filling
Toss a cup of cooked quinoa into kale salad or Greek salad
Add to a cup of bone broth to add body and calories to your broth
Replace bulgur wheat with cooked quinoa in tabouleh
Stir into stewed fruit or applesauce to up the protein content of a fruity snack
Freestyle salad: add any cooked or raw vegetables from your fridge, chopped, and top with whatever dressing you have!
In place of rice in “rice pudding”, with coconut milk, chopped dates, cinnamon and cardamon.
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