The first time I made quinoa I made a rookie mistake and I ended up with bitter tasting quinoa that no one enjoyed. I share below what to do so you don’t make the same mistake.
I first discovered Quinoa in South America and once I figured out how to make it, it quickly became my favorite “rice” dish. I kind of equate quinoa to rice in the sense that it’s a filler to our meals but it’s protein filled unlike rice. It’s high in fiber, magnesium and iron and it’s pretty much used like a grain but it’s not, it’s a seed.
It’s cultivated in the Andes so it’s not a surprise to me that I discovered this precious gold here in Ecuador.
Warning this stuff is good! My quinoa turns out the way I wish my Mexican rice would.
Fluffy Quinoa Recipe
- 1 cup of Quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups of water (secret: I use broth and when I don’t have broth I use a bouillon cube)
- 1 tbl Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a mesh strainer. Don’t skip this step as it helps remove the bitter coating that’s naturally on the quinoa.
2. Place drained quinoa in a medium saucepan. Let the water evaporate for about a minute and then add the olive oil to toast it.
3. Add your water/broth and salt and let it boil.
4. Lower your heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.
As they say in Ecuador–buen provecho!