I'll do the cooking this weekend, Quinoa cooking tips and Josef's is on WPBT2 Check Please!

Quinoa, pronounced as you'd say keenwha. It's as easy as rice to make and buy organic, It's only a few cent more and well worth it. Quinoa is very high in protein, great for athletes, vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa has a balanced set of essential amino acids making it a complete protein source from plant foods. Its high is fiber, phosphorus, magnesium , ribo flavin and iron and it's gluten-free. 1 serving is 1/3 cup cooked is 160 calories, 2.5g fat, 30g carbohydrates, 3g fiber and 6g protein.
Ok let's get cooking... Quinoa is cooked like rice, steamed in a pot on the stove. Here's the trick to yummy quinoa, you must bathe the grains in a bowl of cold water to remove bitter starches on the outside of the grain, swish the grains around in the water for a minute then, drain, rinse and you're good to go. The grains are very small so find the finest mesh strainer you have, paper towel lined on the bottom of a colander works too.

So basic quinoa is , 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water in a pot with a lid, bring to a boil then to simmer for 20 minutes, check after 15 minutes, lift the lid and see if little bubble air pockets have formed. If so, turn off the burner, it's ready and let rest for 5 minutes or so. Stir and serve. You can easily double this recipe.
Proper food storage: As long as I'm making the effort to cook at home, I stock up and double my recipe. Quinoa will last in your fridge for four to five days if stored in a re- sealable plastic bag. When storing your food, always remove as much air as possible from the bag.
Now let's talk about flavors. Quinoa is a blank canvas with green earthly tones in its flavor profile. It will soak up any flavor you wish to add from chicken stock to apple juice so you can create a million different ways you like to eat quinoa, from adding fresh herbs, dried fruits, nuts, nutty oils like sesame, and walnut and pumpkin seed. Oil flavors really take well. Quinoa is one of my favorite things to have my fridge and I'll eat it hot or cold, so a recipe that tastes great both ways is a winner for me.

Katie's Kins Apple Cinnamon Nut Quinoa:1 basic quinoa recipe, substitute 1 cup of water with 1 cup of organic apple juice, add 2 chopped organic apples, 1 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoons cinnamon extract, 1/4 cup of chopped almonds, 1/2 teaspoon walnut oil, 1 packet of truvia and a pinch of sea salt. Yields 5, ½ cup servings, each with 223 calories, 2.5g fat, 35g carbohydrates, 6g fiber and 8g protein.

Pineapple Jalapeno Cilantro: 1 basic recipe plus, ½ fresh pineapple chopped and 1 packet of truvia, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoons cumin and ½ teas sesame oil. Cook and then add 1 chopped jalapeno and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped before serving. If you don't like spice, eliminate the jalapeno. The cilantro and pineapple still rocks. Yields 9, ½ cup servings, each with 221 calories, 2.5g fat, 35g carbohydrates, 6g fiber and 6g protein.

Lean Italian Herb Quinoa: 1 basic recipe, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 2 cloves garlic minced. While quinoa is cooking, it's time for chop chop. Dice 2 tomatoes, dice 2 medium to large zucchini, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano and add a splash of red wine vinegar. Mixed all this in bowl and sprinkle with a little salt and let rest until quinoa is cooked. Toss everything together and serve. Yields 6 1 cup servings, each with 240 calories, 1.5g fat, 25g carbohydrates, 6g fiber and 5g protein.

Have fun and let me know how you like your quinoa. Have a suggestion or want me to email you this recipe? Reach me at elisa@chefelisascatering.com