Quinoa (nope, I got nothing clever...)

Here's a quick quinoa commercial from yours truly. So, last night I was making Santa Fe Chicken (see earlier post "On my way to Santa Fe...chicken...") and I saw a bag of quinoa (keen-wa) as I was poking about in the pantry looking for rice, so I decided to use it instead. Here's the "Wiki" description:

Quinoa

Grain

Quinoa, a species of goosefoot, is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the true grass family. Wikipedia

I didn't think I was a big fan of it, until last night. I had heard about it from a friend (thanks Sam) a few years back, but hadn't thought much about it. I think the trick is to brown it first, somehow it releases a rich, nutty flavor when you do (to be fair, I "sauteed" it in a little butter, but don't tell my wife). It's like cooking rice, once browned add the liquid, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20-25 minutes. I always use chicken stock instead of water for these type of things since it adds much more flavor. The ratio is 2 parts liquid to one part quinoa, again, like rice. Anyway, if you have not tried it, I highly recommend that you do. It makes a great cous cous substitute for things like bulgar as well.

As always, experiment, try new things, and enjoy!

Buon Appetito!