If you are trying to eat healthy, you may want to give quinoa a
try. It is a delicious food, that experts everywhere have deemed a
"super food". It has also been called a "super grain" even though it is
not actually a grain. Rather, it is a tiny seed that is related to
plants like beets, swiss chard and spinach. Both the seed and leafs of
quinoa can be eaten, although only the seed is widely available.
Cooking
quinoa is very simple and can be accomplished by anyone who can cook
rice. In fact, cooking quinoa is much easier than cooking rice because
quinoa does not stick the way that rice does.
There are several
methods that you can learn if you want to know how to cook quinoa
perfectly. One thing that you need to remember is that it must be
thoroughly rinsed prior to cooking. Once you have rinsed your quinoa,
here three methods of cooking you can try.
Cooking on the Stovetop
While
most recipes for cooking quinoa call for a one to two ratio between the
seed and liquid, I think a far better ratio is one to one and a half.
Bring the quinoa and liquid to a simmer and then reduce to low. Cook
covered for 25 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Allow to remain
covered for an additional five minutes. Fluff and serve.
Cooking for Salad
I
like to use a slightly different method when cooking quinoa to use for a
quinoa salad. It is a bit more involved, but it delivers a seed that is
just perfect for salad because it is a bit firmer. It also holds up
well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Use one part quinoa and
two parts liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the quinoa. Boil,
uncovered, for ten minutes. Remove from heat and drain your quinoa in a
fine metal colander. Rinse under cool water. Bring fresh water to boil
in a pot and place the quinoa on top of it in the strainer. Make sure
that the strainer is not submerged in the water. Place a clean kitchen
towel over the quinoa and cover with a lid. Steam the quinoa for 10
minutes. Be careful of the steam when you remove the lid and dish cloth.
Cooking Quinoa in the Oven
Most
people don't realize that you can cook quinoa in the oven to be used as
a crunchy topping for yogurt and fruit. To do this, you will want to
preheat the oven to 375. Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 1 tablespoon of
agave nectar and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 10 to
15 minutes, until lightly browned. You will want to stir the quinoa
every five minutes.
Quinoa Flavoring - How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly For You
When learning to cook Quinoa, how to cook Quinoa perfectly for
you depends almost entirely on your tastes and normal diet. Keep in mind
one of the key things that sets Quinoa apart is it's flexibility and
adaptability. Seems like a no brainer doesn't it? Yet so many first
timers will grab a few recipes, follow them exactly, and never try
Quinoa again. Quinoa can yield so many different flavors depending on
the seasonings and foods it is prepared with, it's hard to say if you
will like my favorite or that I will like yours. Rather than looking for
that perfect recipe from others, step back and consider Quinoa itself,
and how to work it in to your normal diet habits and tastes. Think about
how Quinoa tastes and what it brings to the dish, and what the dish
will bring to the Quinoa. Use the recipes as a guide instead of a
script. Quinoa will do it's job and respond to your changes.
Preparing Quinoa for Cooking - Bringing Out the Right Taste
Many Quinoa products are usually pre-washed before packaging, but since the natural saponin coating can act as a laxative and really messes up the taste, I would recommend running Quinoa under cold water using a strainer or cloth till all the soapiness is gone and the water runs clear. The saponin is a natural coating that helps Quinoa survive because the birds won't eat the seeds. Trust the birds, you won't like it either. In fact many Quinoa recipes get ruined from poor or not enough preparation.
Also, many people will soak Quinoa for 2 to 4 hours prior to cooking. Even this short amount of time will allow the seed to begin to germinate. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies Quinoa's vitamin content. This will also soften the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods. For this article though, remember it also changes the taste slightly, so try a few experiments with and without soaking to learn the difference.
Flavoring Quinoa - How to Cook to Taste
As mentioned earlier, how to cook Quinoa perfectly for you involves matching your cooking to your taste. And, like most things you've learned to cook, you will develop your own do's and don'ts with Quinoa. Try cooking Quinoa with just water at first, much like you would with rice. Two parts water to one part Quinoa, and add Quinoa to boiling water and simmer for 14 to 20 minutes. When you are done, try the taste by itself, with nothing added, both hot and cold. This slightly nutty flavor is the heart of what you will be working with.
You'll find that to the sensitive palate, Quinoa tastes subtly different when hot vs cold. The same can be said with cooked Quinoa that has been soaked or not soaked as earlier mentioned. As you can see, you now have four different flavors to contribute to your dishes, all without adding anything.
Quinoa tends to assume the flavors of the liquids that are added to it, much like rice in a stir fry. Quinoa responds well by substituting vegetable stock or chicken stock or broth for part or all of the liquid. One can also season the water or liquid, and Quinoa will absorb the flavor as well.
My personal favorites involve using Quinoa to compliment or contrast with other things in my dish. You will find Quinoa compliments bitter tastes like kale and bitter greens. Yet Quinoa contrasts and so compliments sweet tastes like honey or berries. Quinoa cooked with chicken stock can compliment a meal of chicken, or add a surprise to a salad. Quinoa cooked with a bit of garlic for instance will make red pepper pieces and onion prepared separately stand out in a dish. Cook them with the Quinoa and it will absorb their tastes.
With meats or meatless, hot or cold, soaked or unsoaked, seasoned or unseasoned, learning how to cook Quinoa perfectly for you can take some experimenting. Look for the Quinoa how to articles and videos, and Quinoa recipes. Use them as ideas and guides and not as scripts. Because with Quinoa, how to cook Quinoa perfectly is as individual as each of us
Preparing Quinoa for Cooking - Bringing Out the Right Taste
Many Quinoa products are usually pre-washed before packaging, but since the natural saponin coating can act as a laxative and really messes up the taste, I would recommend running Quinoa under cold water using a strainer or cloth till all the soapiness is gone and the water runs clear. The saponin is a natural coating that helps Quinoa survive because the birds won't eat the seeds. Trust the birds, you won't like it either. In fact many Quinoa recipes get ruined from poor or not enough preparation.
Also, many people will soak Quinoa for 2 to 4 hours prior to cooking. Even this short amount of time will allow the seed to begin to germinate. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies Quinoa's vitamin content. This will also soften the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods. For this article though, remember it also changes the taste slightly, so try a few experiments with and without soaking to learn the difference.
Flavoring Quinoa - How to Cook to Taste
As mentioned earlier, how to cook Quinoa perfectly for you involves matching your cooking to your taste. And, like most things you've learned to cook, you will develop your own do's and don'ts with Quinoa. Try cooking Quinoa with just water at first, much like you would with rice. Two parts water to one part Quinoa, and add Quinoa to boiling water and simmer for 14 to 20 minutes. When you are done, try the taste by itself, with nothing added, both hot and cold. This slightly nutty flavor is the heart of what you will be working with.
You'll find that to the sensitive palate, Quinoa tastes subtly different when hot vs cold. The same can be said with cooked Quinoa that has been soaked or not soaked as earlier mentioned. As you can see, you now have four different flavors to contribute to your dishes, all without adding anything.
Quinoa tends to assume the flavors of the liquids that are added to it, much like rice in a stir fry. Quinoa responds well by substituting vegetable stock or chicken stock or broth for part or all of the liquid. One can also season the water or liquid, and Quinoa will absorb the flavor as well.
My personal favorites involve using Quinoa to compliment or contrast with other things in my dish. You will find Quinoa compliments bitter tastes like kale and bitter greens. Yet Quinoa contrasts and so compliments sweet tastes like honey or berries. Quinoa cooked with chicken stock can compliment a meal of chicken, or add a surprise to a salad. Quinoa cooked with a bit of garlic for instance will make red pepper pieces and onion prepared separately stand out in a dish. Cook them with the Quinoa and it will absorb their tastes.
With meats or meatless, hot or cold, soaked or unsoaked, seasoned or unseasoned, learning how to cook Quinoa perfectly for you can take some experimenting. Look for the Quinoa how to articles and videos, and Quinoa recipes. Use them as ideas and guides and not as scripts. Because with Quinoa, how to cook Quinoa perfectly is as individual as each of us
How To Cook Quinoa Grain And Get The Best Out Of Quinoa Recipes
There are many different ways to cook quinoa; it all really
depends on which quinoa recipes you are going to follow and what other
ingredients you will use. If you want to know how to cook quinoa
properly then please follow our example below.
The most common and basic way is to simply boil it in water. The mix ratio is 1 part quinoa grain to 2 parts water.
You will first need to wash the grain thoroughly to get rid of all the bits and excess coating on the seeds, this also allows for a cleaner grain for cooking. Not all grain requires this cleansing process as some come already pre-washed. If you have done the process correctly you will see a layer of foam or froth appear on top of the water whilst cooking.
Once this process has been completed you can then begin the cooking. You first put the grain in a fair size pan and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and then simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes. Now depending on your preference, if you wish the grain to be a little firm and crunchy, then only simmer for 10 minutes. If you prefer it softer and a little fluffy then use the whole 15 minutes to simmer. Obviously, the more times you cook quinoa the more you will get to know how you like it and can adjust the cooking or simmer time accordingly.
Many people find that just boiling it in water can be a little plain, so if you wish to have a little more flavour here are a few great ideas:
Try adding vegetable or meat stock to the water, this will then soak into the grain giving it extra flavour, you can even add some olive oil to give it substance. Also try different herbs, even spices that you like as they will provide a little kick to the rice too. Don't be afraid to experiment with different additives such as herbs and things, the more adventurous you are the better the dish is sometimes.
Quinoa is quite versatile when it comes to adding other ingredients and these flavours are great if you are just using the quinoa as an accompaniment to your main meal; as they don't overpower the flavour of the rice.
It may also be useful to know how to cook quinoa using your microwave. There is no time advantage by doing it this way as it takes pretty much the same amount of time, and not only that; cooking quinoa in the microwave requires you to continually watch it so it doesn't over cook, whereas you can leave the rice simmering on the hob. Try it on max power for about 13-14 minutes (depending on the microwave you are using and how powerful it is), but vary depending on your preference as with the boiling method.
So far we have shown you how to cook quinoa as a single food source, but you do not have to go through the same process if you are making a risotto or soup, even casseroles, as the rice can be cooked together with the other ingredients and will bulk up during cooking. So the preparation is a little quicker.
By cooking quinoa as a main dish with other ingredients you must remember to add more water to the pot, as quinoa absorbs a lot of the liquid used in this process. This will also help to thicken the recipe which means you can reduce other thickening agents such as corn flour that you may be using. You will be far more satisfied after your meal and feel fuller for longer due to quinoa being a complex carbohydrate. Like rice in general, it swells in your tummy making you feel full, which means from a weight loss point of view you won't be as hungry as often.
There are many varying quinoa recipes around, but some of my favourites are making the quinoa grain into cakes, scones and cookies. You cook it in the same way described above by boiling it in water and simply follow the cake recipe. You can even try using it as a breakfast recipe by cooking it as a type of porridge, try adding a little fruit to add flavour.
I hope you have found our methods useful and a good guide on how to cook quinoa correctly; also that it's given you a little inspiration in how you can use quinoa in all sorts of other dishes.
The most common and basic way is to simply boil it in water. The mix ratio is 1 part quinoa grain to 2 parts water.
You will first need to wash the grain thoroughly to get rid of all the bits and excess coating on the seeds, this also allows for a cleaner grain for cooking. Not all grain requires this cleansing process as some come already pre-washed. If you have done the process correctly you will see a layer of foam or froth appear on top of the water whilst cooking.
Once this process has been completed you can then begin the cooking. You first put the grain in a fair size pan and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and then simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes. Now depending on your preference, if you wish the grain to be a little firm and crunchy, then only simmer for 10 minutes. If you prefer it softer and a little fluffy then use the whole 15 minutes to simmer. Obviously, the more times you cook quinoa the more you will get to know how you like it and can adjust the cooking or simmer time accordingly.
Many people find that just boiling it in water can be a little plain, so if you wish to have a little more flavour here are a few great ideas:
Try adding vegetable or meat stock to the water, this will then soak into the grain giving it extra flavour, you can even add some olive oil to give it substance. Also try different herbs, even spices that you like as they will provide a little kick to the rice too. Don't be afraid to experiment with different additives such as herbs and things, the more adventurous you are the better the dish is sometimes.
Quinoa is quite versatile when it comes to adding other ingredients and these flavours are great if you are just using the quinoa as an accompaniment to your main meal; as they don't overpower the flavour of the rice.
It may also be useful to know how to cook quinoa using your microwave. There is no time advantage by doing it this way as it takes pretty much the same amount of time, and not only that; cooking quinoa in the microwave requires you to continually watch it so it doesn't over cook, whereas you can leave the rice simmering on the hob. Try it on max power for about 13-14 minutes (depending on the microwave you are using and how powerful it is), but vary depending on your preference as with the boiling method.
So far we have shown you how to cook quinoa as a single food source, but you do not have to go through the same process if you are making a risotto or soup, even casseroles, as the rice can be cooked together with the other ingredients and will bulk up during cooking. So the preparation is a little quicker.
By cooking quinoa as a main dish with other ingredients you must remember to add more water to the pot, as quinoa absorbs a lot of the liquid used in this process. This will also help to thicken the recipe which means you can reduce other thickening agents such as corn flour that you may be using. You will be far more satisfied after your meal and feel fuller for longer due to quinoa being a complex carbohydrate. Like rice in general, it swells in your tummy making you feel full, which means from a weight loss point of view you won't be as hungry as often.
There are many varying quinoa recipes around, but some of my favourites are making the quinoa grain into cakes, scones and cookies. You cook it in the same way described above by boiling it in water and simply follow the cake recipe. You can even try using it as a breakfast recipe by cooking it as a type of porridge, try adding a little fruit to add flavour.
I hope you have found our methods useful and a good guide on how to cook quinoa correctly; also that it's given you a little inspiration in how you can use quinoa in all sorts of other dishes.
