A quick fix for those really long days: snuggling in bed with a bowl of quinoa! That’s The Girl Who Played with Fire on TV, and my messy bookcases in the background. Let’s talk more about the foreground, shall we?!
I was introduced to quinoa a few years ago, during the quinoa hype, and I haven’t looked back since. It’s yummy, filling, nutritious, and has great texture. What I like most about this grain is how versatile it is. From sweet to savoury in a pinch (pun intended).
Here’s how I like to prepare quinoa:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups of water
- 1 avocado
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp of salt
- 1/2 tbsp of pepper
Instructions:
- Preparing the quinoa*:
- Rinse the quinoa: Measure 1 cup of quinoa and place into a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing. Drain.
- Toast quinoa in saucepan (optional): Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to let the water evaporate and toast the quinoa.
- Add liquid and bring to a boil: Stir in 2 cups of water or broth and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes: Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. Don’t peek!
- Fluff and eat! Remove the lid — You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. If any liquid remains in the bottom of the pan or if the quinoa is still a bit crunchy, return the pot to low heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.
- Preparing the dressing:
- Stir the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil together in a little bowl.
- Chop up the avocados into cubes (or as desired).
- Mix chopped avocados and dressing with cooked quinoa.
I’ve found that cooling the quinoa for a few hours in the fridge really brings out the taste of the dressing when it’s added.
*Source on how to boil uncooked quinoa
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