Find Out How Do You Cook Quinoa

If you have never heard of quinoa, it is certainly a food that you will want to try. It is loaded with vegetarian protein and complex carbohydrates. In addition to this, it tastes great! Here is how to cook quinoa!

I have to be honest. When I first heard of quinoa, I was more than a little skeptical. How could a food that had so many health benefits actually taste good too? A close friend of mine was trying to convince me that it would give me the energy and protein that I need to fuel my busy life, but I was not so sure. Boy, am I glad that I decided to take the plunge! Since the first time I learned how to cook quinoa, I have been hooked! Even better, my family loves quinoa too!

If you have never cooked quinoa, I will share a few secrets with you. The first thing that you will always want to remember is that quinoa must be rinsed. Many people try to skip this step to save time, but ultimately they end up disappointed. Quinoa that has not been rinsed tastes like soap and for many people, it also causes stomach upset. If you want to speed up the time that rinsing quinoa takes, you can always soak it for a couple of hours before rinsing. This is especially helpful if you have purchased your quinoa in bulk because it helps to loosen the waxy saponin's on the seeds exterior. You want to rinse under warm water until your water runs clear.

You can cook quinoa on the stove top or in your rice cooker. It can also be baked if you are looking for a crunchy topping for yogurt or to replace croutons on your salad. If you choose to cook quinoa on the stove top or rice cooker, you will want to use twice as much liquid as you are cooking quinoa. Bring it to boil over high heat and then turn the heat down to medium low. Cover the pot and simmer for between fourteen and sixteen minutes or until the liquid is all absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat and allow to stay covered for another five minutes are so.

If you would prefer to use your food steamer, just follow the same directions that you would use for white rice. Since each steamer is a bit different, you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. To bake quinoa you will want to preheat your oven to 375 and bake the quinoa for about 18 minutes. Before baking you can toss the quinoa with a little olive oil and whichever seasonings you prefer.

To learn more about how to cook quinoa or where to buy quinoa is so cook for you, please visit me at cookingquinoa.net.

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