How to Cook Quinoa

 
Do you know about Quinoa?
Have you ever cooked with it, or even heard of it? The stuff is popping up all the place these days! I see it in my grocery store deli case made into a beautiful salads, I read about it online and MyHandsomeHusband keeps putting it in all kinds of things. 
Because the man can not live on Cinnamon Roll Cake alone.
And neither can his wife. 

Quinoa is pronounced “Keen-wah”. It is considered a whole grain but is actually a seed that grows in a plant similar to spinach. Not only is it packed with vitamins and nutrients, but also provides the full spectrum of nine essential amino acids making it a complete protein. It has a texture similar to brown rice, but is light and fluffy with a bit of a nutty flavor. You can cook Quinoa in about 10-15 minutes, which is much less than the time it takes to cook brown rice. It can be used in salads, to thicken soups, as a side dish or as a replacement for rice.

“Why would I make this instead of rice?” you are thinking. 
“Why is Jamie Cooks It Up using ingredients I’ve never heard of!?!?!?! My kids will never eat this. For. The. Love.”

Hang in there with me. I’ve got all kinds of family friendly food waiting in the wings here for you. And who knows, maybe your kiddos will like Quinoa. You never know. Stranger things have happened.

Quinoa can be purchased in most grocery stores, but is a little bit expensive. It’s most budget friendly if purchased at Costco. This 4 pound bag of Quinoa costs around $10.

I have a wonderful salad recipe using Quinoa that I plan to post tomorrow. But for today, let me show you just how easy this little protein packed grain can be to cook. 

 

1. Pour 1 1/2 C quinoa into a medium sized sauce pan.

Thanks so much for dropping by today. Look for a yummy salad recipe using Quinoa tomorrow. Have a great day, everyone!