Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Quinoa is the seed of a plant in the same family as spinach, and as such is not properly a grain. However, it can be cooked in a similar fashion to rice. It must first be thoroughly rinsed: in nature, the quinoa seed grows with a coating of bitter saponins, to make it less palatable to grazers. There is no industry standard for quinoa-washing; some brands are well-washed, others not, so it is best to rinse it carefully until the water no longer shows any froth. Once the quinoa is wet, it becomes moderately challenging to measure the amount of water to use. Adopt one of two practices: either drain it really well, and experiment once or twice to find the right amount of water to add, or measure washed quinoa and water together in the same vessel, and remember the mark. We find that 1 1/4 cup or so of water, added to a cup of dry quinoa, thoroughly washed, yields pretty good results.
Quinoa is often compared to rice, but unlike rice, it seems apt to burn. Once it is turned down to simmer, make sure it is cooking as low as it can and still simmer. When it is done, it may be best to turn it all out into a bowl, if the pan used to cook it has a thick bottom. I came back to a cooked pan of quinoa left to sit on a trivet and found that the bottom layer was toasted a nice brown color – luckily it had not managed to burn, but if it had been hotter, it might have been a darker toast, and possibly unpleasant.
Quinoa, once cooked, has a texture reminiscent of cous-cous. It is larger than Moroccan cous-cous, and smaller than Israeli cous-cous, but it is also gluten-free, and much higher in protein than cous-cous.
Makes 3-4 cups of cooked quinoa.
Equipment:
• medium to large saucepan
• strainer/sieve fine enough to catch quinoa
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa rinsed thoroughly
1 1/4 cup water or stock
1 ea shallot minced
1 ea poblano pepper small dice
1 1/2 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water, until it no longer makes frothy bubbles in the water.
2. Drain the quinoa very well, and then add the measured water, the shallot and the salt.
3. Bring the quinoa to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 12 minutes; it may be as little as 10 or as many as 15 minutes before it is done, so keep a close eye on it and don’t let the fire stay too hot.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, cut the poblano pepper to small dice.
5. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, stir the poblano pieces through into the hot quinoa and then put the lid right back on the pot, and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
6. Serve alongside dishes with pepper-compatibility, possibly topped with a bit of butter.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Quinoa is the seed of a plant in the same family as spinach, and as such is not properly a grain. However, it can be cooked in a similar fashion to rice. It must first be thoroughly rinsed: in nature, the quinoa seed grows with a coating of bitter saponins, to make it less palatable to grazers. There is no industry standard for quinoa-washing; some brands are well-washed, others not, so it is best to rinse it carefully until the water no longer shows any froth. Once the quinoa is wet, it becomes moderately challenging to measure the amount of water to use. Adopt one of two practices: either drain it really well, and experiment once or twice to find the right amount of water to add, or measure washed quinoa and water together in the same vessel, and remember the mark. We find that 1 1/4 cup or so of water, added to a cup of dry quinoa, thoroughly washed, yields pretty good results.
Quinoa is often compared to rice, but unlike rice, it seems apt to burn. Once it is turned down to simmer, make sure it is cooking as low as it can and still simmer. When it is done, it may be best to turn it all out into a bowl, if the pan used to cook it has a thick bottom. I came back to a cooked pan of quinoa left to sit on a trivet and found that the bottom layer was toasted a nice brown color – luckily it had not managed to burn, but if it had been hotter, it might have been a darker toast, and possibly unpleasant.
Quinoa, once cooked, has a texture reminiscent of cous-cous. It is larger than Moroccan cous-cous, and smaller than Israeli cous-cous, but it is also gluten-free, and much higher in protein than cous-cous.
Makes 3-4 cups of cooked quinoa.
Equipment:
• medium to large saucepan
• strainer/sieve fine enough to catch quinoa
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa rinsed thoroughly
1 1/4 cup water or stock
1 ea shallot minced
1 ea poblano pepper small dice
1 1/2 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water, until it no longer makes frothy bubbles in the water.
2. Drain the quinoa very well, and then add the measured water, the shallot and the salt.
3. Bring the quinoa to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 12 minutes; it may be as little as 10 or as many as 15 minutes before it is done, so keep a close eye on it and don’t let the fire stay too hot.
4. While the quinoa is cooking, cut the poblano pepper to small dice.
5. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, stir the poblano pieces through into the hot quinoa and then put the lid right back on the pot, and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
6. Serve alongside dishes with pepper-compatibility, possibly topped with a bit of butter.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
