Many quinoa recipes use quinoa that has already been been cooked and prepared before including in a recipe. There is a saying that you have to cook quinoa twice and this is true in most quinoa recipes. Quinoa when it is prepared like this will be superb as a replacement for many oriental menus and recipes. You can keep the cooked quinoa in the fridge to use with salads. It is simply a matter of mixing in some chopped salad vegetables such as sweet peppers, tomatoes and celery.
Step 1
Rinse the quinoa in a fine seive with cold water. Do this a second time to make sure the saponin coating is completely removed. When quinoa is unprocessed you need to rinse it completely in this way to be sure of getting the best results.
Step 2
Measure out one cup of quinoa to two cups of water into a saucepan.
Step 3
Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring gently to ensure it does not stick to the pan. When it has come to the boil you turn the gas down and let it simmer for between ten and fifteen minutes. If yuou want it crunchy then ten minutes will be enough – if you want it soft and fluffy then leave it to cook for longer. The quinoa will not need draining as it takes in all the water and expands. The quinoa will double in size during cooking. Stop the cooking after it is cooked.
Step 4
Your quinoa is now ready to serve as a substitute for rice with curry and other dishes. You can also include it as a part of one of your regular meals. Quinoa generally blends in with the flavours of the foods that you cook it with. It has a pleasant crunchy texture that adds substance to any menu.
It is also ready to include in the recipes that are in the quinoa recipes book.