Quinoa...

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Quinoa is a wonderful, versatile seed. It cooks quickly, and it may be eaten hot as a grain, or cold in a salad.

It is very light, which makes it a perfect dish for lunch. I can eat it and stay awake, as opposed to when I eat brown rice and beans at lunch time, which make me full, heavy and sleepy. 

I mostly eat it cold as a salad, with a side of a greens, and/or left over chicken, chick peas, feta cheese, sweet potato fries, meat, boiled eggs, kibies… whatever I find in the fridge that day, basically. 

The secret for quinoa of how to cook it properly. I used to just boil it, which made it mushy and unappealing. But then I found out that if I put it in the pot, and let it heat up and toast for a few minutes, it becomes much more delicious, fragrant and appetizing. 

Quinoa salad.

I put a cup of dry quinoa in a pot, turn the flame to medium high, and let it heat up as I toss it. When I smell its aroma, I add 3 cups of water to it. The trick here is to immediately cover the pot the second I add the water so that it doesn't splatter, make a mess on the stove, and burn myself. A couple burns were enough to teach me that trick.

Once I add the water, I turn the fire to low, and simmer it for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water has evaporated. There is no need to mix the quinoa while it cooks, as it will only make it become mushy. 


When it is done, I let it cool, and then mix it with my favorite ingredients to make a salad: olive oil and sea salt. Then I put in nuts such as raw or roasted cashews and/or almonds, Kalamata olives, parsley or cilantro, red onion, corn... and toss it together. The salad will last for about 3 days, a great deal for about 15 minutes of chopping/mixing and another 20 of cooking, which can be done while I have my morning coffee and get the kids ready for school.