Recipe : Quinoa

I got a new batch of quinoa at the co-op pickup last week. No, I did not buy all 25 pounds of this...I only bought 7.

When three friends in one week ask me about something, I automatically begin thinking: "I should post about that!"

And that happened this past week with....(drumroll, please)...Quinoa.

First, let's get the correct pronunciation down: KEEN-WAH

Before I learned the correct pronunciation, that is not at all how I was pronouncing it in my head!

Now, WHAT is it?

(yes, this pic is sideways, but cut me some slack...my tech guy is out-of-town)

Well, in googling it myself just a minute ago (to make sure I pass along correct info)...I found out something new: I would have said quinoa is a grain...but, in fact, it is a seed.

Learn something new everyday!

So, it is a precious little round ball of a seed. It also happens to be a complete protein, which can be hard to come by in the plant kingdom.

So that is super-cool....and super-healthy.

So, how do you use quinoa? And how do you cook it?

Around here, we eat quinoa for breakfast.

It is cooked with water in a 2:1 ratio.

For our family (which is a Quinoa-loving family that also likes to have some leftovers on hand) I put 4 cups of water and 2 cups of quinoa together in a pot....

....and turn the burner on high.

(YAY! I turned the correct burner on this time...unlike here)

Once the water and quinoa starts to boil, turn the burner all the way to as low as you can, and put a lid on the pot:

And set your timer for 20 minutes.

When the timer goes off at the end of the 20 minutes, you'll have light, fluffy, yummy-looking quinoa:

Don't think it looks yummy?

Me neither.

BUT, if you add some salt...

....or Bragg's Liquid Aminos...

....or shredded cheese...or garlic or onion powder....it IS yummy!

AND it is healthy.

I have three kiddos who would probably be happy to have this for breakfast every day (not. even. kidding.) but E and I would not be o.k. with that. So we usually have it once or twice a week - but the leftovers allow some of those true Quinoa-lovers to have it a few more times in a week (Daniel asked for some with his lunch today).