Hello, Quinoa

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*:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Add liquid and bring to a boil: Stir in 2 cups of water or broth and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
4. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes: Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. Don’t peek!
6. 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:

1. Stir the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil together in a little bowl.
2. Chop up the avocados into cubes (or as desired).
3. 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