To know me is to know that I love quinoa. This little seed masquerades as a grain, which means you get a complete, lean, vegetarian protein that you can make the star of a meal or serve as a side dish.
Parenting tip: If your kids don’t warm up to quinoa’s nutty flavor and texture right away, start by introducing them to brown rice, then whole-wheat couscous and then try quinoa again. My kids love to top quinoa with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese to shake things up on “spaghetti” night.
You can cook quinoa on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, but nothing beats the microwave for convenience. For every cup of dry quinoa (a brief rinse will remove any bitterness), add 1 1/4 cups of water and cook, covered, for approximately 12 minutes on high. I like to cook up a big batch of quinoa once and keep it in the refrigerator for recipes all week.
Need ideas? Toss it with chopped fresh herbs, shallot, cucumber, lemon juice and olive oil for a refreshing tabbouleh; saute with sweet peppers and onion, chicken or shrimp, soy chorizo and a dash of saffron for the world’s easiest take on paella; or grill up fish and veggies at your next barbecue and serve them on a large platter lined with herbed quinoa and drizzled with a mustardy vinaigrette.