This seed is a useful alternative to rice. It is grown high up in the Andes–and no one seems to agree on how to pronounce it!
It serves as a plain canvas on which you can paint what you like.
It takes less time to cook than rice and is delicious in its own right or, as below, mixed with sautéed vegetables.
It takes well to steamed green vegetables, like broccoli dressed with good olive oil or sprinkled with crunchy nuts such as dry-roasted walnuts.
Crumbled feta or goats cheese is good too.
Here you can learn more about the benefits of Quinoa–perhaps more than you want to know!
Quinoa with sautéed vegetables
for 4
8oz/250gms quinoa
1 pint/2 cups/16floz of vegetable stock–I use organic stock cubes.
Cook this gently, covered, until you can fluff it up with a big fork–about 15-20 minutes.
quinoa cooking in stock
Meanwhile…
Gently sauté together:
4 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic–chopped
small red pepper–seeded and chopped into small dice
1 small chilli–chopped
1 small courgette–chopped into small dice
1 medium ripe tomato–peeled, seeded and chopped into small dice
Sauté them until soft.
vegetables gently sautéed
Add this mix to the cooked quinoa.
Add salt and pepper to taste–though be careful with salt, as the stock may be salty.
Allow the flavours meld.
cooked quinoa with veg mixed in
If you have some, sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped parsley.
Mix all together carefully and eat it hot or tepid.
(You can steam the quinoa for a couple of minutes to re-heat.)
Robin Ellis 