Quinoa

I wanted to share my favorite way to cook quinoa. Quinoa is very underrated, not very popular.

However, it’s very high in protein & fiber, has iron & other vitamins, is better on your blood sugar (glycemic index is very low). Nutritionally a lot better for you than the more popular rice. (Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE rice!)

Don’t be intimidated by this superfood! I bought some red & black quinoa and mix them together with the regular white quinoa, but the white quinoa had a more mild taste & is more readily available. I do prefer it, but wanted to try the others also & figured if they had a few different nutritional properties (they say it’s important to eat different colored fruits & veggies, so I figured the same is true here). 😃

To make it: I dice & saute an onion (add more or less to your taste, it adds a lot of flavor) in some olive oil until the onions are translucent. Don’t let the onions burn. Caramelized is fine (light or golden brown)

Add in the quinoa & let it toast a minute or 2. It makes the quinoa taste a bit nuttier. I would skip this if you’re a quinoa newbie or if you’re not sure you will like it…it does make a stronger, more earthy/nutty taste.

Add in chicken broth. I cook mine in the instant pot & it’s a 1:1 ratio…1 Cup quinoa, 1 Cup liquid. Stir it up, then close up the instant pot & set it on high pressure for 1 minute, then let it naturally release for 12 minutes.

Fluff up & serve. Add salt to taste if it needs it. You can also add garlic & any herbs, right before the chicken broth. Freezes beautifully also.

If you are cooking quinoa in a pot on the stove instead, you need 2 Cups of liquid for 1 Cup of dry quinoa. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Turn off & let it sit covered for 5 minutes to steam, then fluff.