How to prepare Quinoa
Rinsing Quinoa
If you want to know how to prepare quinoa then the first stage is to get rid of the bitter taste.
The ‘bitterness’ that keeps all the pests away (when you are growing quinoa) is caused by soap like chemicals called samponins.
To get rid of the bitter taste simply put the amount of quinoa you want to use in a blender (like the stunning Andrew James one on the right)…
Fill with water, leave to soak and on a very low speed whizz of a couple of minutes. Drain and repeat until the water stays relatively clear.
(or you could rinse it under the tap, but where’s the fun in that ?)
How to prepare quinoa..
The good news is that there are stack and stack of recipes. You can eat it simple (on it’s own) or added to other ingredients or foods.
For example you can :
- Add it to Salads
- Add it to Soups
- Use it as a type of porridge
- As a stuffing in tomatoes or pepper
- Instead of risotto or couscous
- Roast the seeds as a snack (like popcorn)
Cooking it…
Making it is really easy – simply combine 1 cup of quinoa with 1 cups of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes (until tender)
Then just drain it with a fine sieve and leave to stand for 15 minutes.
As easy as that !
Recipes…
Similarly there are load of recipes (like the quinoa cookbook shown right)
More information