Quinoa Recipes – How to Cook Quinoa

Quinoa is the name of a grain that is used quite commonly in recipes or baking. Although not unfamiliar, many people still do not really understand quinoa seeds and how to prepare dishes from them so that they are most delicious and nutritious. This article, KITCHEN BAR will provide you with essential information about quinoa seeds as well as how to cook quinoa.

There are many precious foods around us, especially kinds of nuts. They play an important part in our nutrition tower by providing a large amount of healthy nutrients. Quinoa is one of them. This seed was planted 7,000 years ago by the Incas of the Andes, South America and is also the main staple food of this area. Nowadays, quinoa seeds are still a type of "superfood" that is used in many food industries.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a very special kind of cereal. They are used as cereal but not as a cereal but belong to the Chenopodiacees family (spinach and beetroot). The quinoa seeds are gray in color, resembling millet, with a faint chestnut flavor plus barley and young corn.

Quinoa seeds are covered with a saponin film (bitter resin makes animals and insects do not like to eat). That is why this seed does not need to use any pesticides, they are especially safe. Quinoa is rich in protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, fiber, vitamins.

The essential amino acids in quinoa are equivalent to the amino acids in milk and are gluten-free. Due to its very high nutritional value, quinoa seeds are also well known as "the mother of grains" or "superfood".

The advantage of quinoa is that it can live in arid, drought or salty soil conditions. It is often grown in high altitudes up to 4,000 meters such as the Himalayas or the northern highlands of India.

How to Cook Quinoa?

With many great uses, more and more people are using Quinoa seeds in recipes and baking to supply and enhance nutrients for the body. So how to cook quinoa, how to use them properly and ensure that the amount of nutrients in the seeds is not lost?

1. Basic Recipe for Hot Quinoa

Quinoa seeds can be served as a variety of hot and cold dishes. To process this food, the most basic way is to cook with a ratio of 1 cup dry quinoa (about 170g) with 500ml of water.

Step 1: Soak Quinoa Seeds

Soaking the quinoa seeds before cooking the quinoa will be easier to soften, ripen, fluffy and taste better. Therefore, you need to take the amount of quinoa you need according to the above formula in advance. Soak the seeds with clean water, stir for seeds to absorb the water. This step is for 8-10 minutes. After that, you can take out and drain.

Step 2: How to Cook Hot Quinoa

Place the quinoa in the pot, filling the seeds with water. You can cook with chicken broth to make the finished quinoa more delicious. Cook until quinoa boils. When quinoa seeds begin to bloom, you can add a little salt and olive oil. Cover the lid so that the quinoa fully hatches. You should turn on low heat. Cook about 10 minutes later, the seeds are ripe and done. The finished quinoa will bloom evenly, not wet and not dry.

Step 3: Processing Quinoa

With cooked quinoa, you can eat right after with nothing together because it is added salt and oil, so quinoa is very delicious.

But instead of just eating cooked quinoa like this, you can transform quinoa into more attractive and delicious dishes, making it become both main and side dishes on the menu.

2. Quinoa with Salads

This is also the reason why quinoa is so popular in the West because quinoa is so easy to make in salads. You just need to cook quinoa, let it cool and mix it with green vegetables, fruits, seafood. We now have a nutritious and easy-to-make quinoa salad.

This preparation is suitable for Western culinary styles, people who follow the trend of healthy eating, vegetarian diet, diabetes, weight loss.

You can make quinoa into healthy salads instead of using mayonnaise.

Ingredients for salad:

• 3 diced apples
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa let cool

Ingredients for salad dressing:

• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2/3 jar of Greek yogurt (about 150g)
• 1 teaspoon wasabi (horseradish)
• ½ teaspoon salt and pepper

How to cook quinoa salad: You just need to make a delicious salad sauce according to the recipe and mix well with the ingredients of the salad.

3. Quinoa and Porridge for Breakfast

Quinoa seeds are also very easy in the preparation of porridge dishes. Quinoa seeds have a very high seed bloom rate. 1 cup of 100 grams quinoa can cook 2 large bowls of porridge.

Porridge simmering time is equivalent to white rice. Quinoa seeds can be cooked with pork, chicken, beef, vegetables, and so on.

4. Quinoa Chicken Porridge

Extremely nutritious porridge is a great gift for your baby with all necessary vitamins and minerals plus an attractive taste that stimulates your baby's appetite. Here is the quinoa chicken porridge recipe for 4 people:

Ingredients:

How to cook quinoa with chicken porridge:

5. Quinoa and Stir-fried Dishes

Because quinoa is very dry and flaky when cooked. Besides, it has good plasticity, so it is very suitable for fried or stir-fried dishes.

You can start the day with a delicious breakfast with egg-fried quinoa or a delicious lunch with fried salmon quinoa or fried quinoa with chicken. This preparation is suitable for a nutritious meal.

6. Quinoa with Salmon

Quinoa combined with salmon creates a perfect formula with full nutrition for the human body.

Here's how to cook quinoa with salmon for 2 people:

Ingredients:

• 01 cup of quinoa.
• 02 teaspoons olive oil.
• 01 purple onion.
• 1/2 red bell pepper.
• 01 carrot.
• Straw mushrooms.
• 01 zucchini.
• Garlic.
• 02 tablespoons parsley.
• 02 tablespoons lemon juice.
• 04 pieces of salmon.

How to cook quinoa with salmon :

• Put the quinoa into the water and boil.
• Reduce heat to low, simmer, stirring occasionally until quinoa is soft.
• Turn off the heat, cover for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a saucepan at medium heat.
• Put all vegetables, garlic, spices into the pan.
• Stir until carrots are tender.
• Add quinoa with parsley and lemon juice.
• Mix all ingredients.
• Continue to heat a saucepan over medium heat.
• Marinate fish with olive oil, salt, pepper and other spices.
• Fry each side of salmon for 3-4 minutes until cooked.
• Served with lemon.
• Enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the uses of quinoa?

Studies have shown some uses of quinoa such as:

• Prevent cardiovascular diseases
• Improve bone and teeth health
• Participates in the energy generation mechanism of red blood cells
• Prevent cancer cells
• Reduce the risk of high blood pressure
• Supply energy to the body
• Control blood sugar and prevent diabetes
• Supports metabolism to go better
• Anti-oxidant, neutralize free radicals, slow down the aging process, prevent some diseases
• Brighten skin, soothe infected skin caused by acne and heal scars quickly

2. Who is suitable for using quinoa?

 

Quinoa is an incredibly nutritious dish. They are favored and popular on the dinner table by all gourmets. Besides, it is suitable for the following groups of people:

• Quinoa seeds are also used to process a number of dishes suitable for everyone from the elderly, children, pregnant mothers and athletes.
• This seed is recommended for use as a snack powder for children from 6 months old.
• People who are sick or on rest after surgery should eat quinoa regularly.
• Quinoa seeds are also great for vegetarians and weight loss dieters. Quinoa provides only 172 calories per quarter cup, making it very low in calories. Moreover, quinoa contains starch with a low glycemic index. Thus, it helps you feel full for a long time, no appetite and control body weight.

3. Is it possible to eat quinoa instead of rice?

Using quinoa instead of rice also helps replenish protein to the body and bring new flavor to meals. You can stir-fry quinoa with a little chili to eat together or serve with soups and broths.

4. Where to buy qualified quinoa?

There are many quinoa distribution sites in the world. However, to ensure quality, you should buy quinoa seeds at reputable addresses and stores, avoid buying quinoa seeds with no clear origin because it is not delicious and unsafe for health.

You can also buy quinoa at stores on Amazon.

5. What does the quinoa color say about them?

Quinoa seed color is not so important in terms of nutrition.

Quinoa seeds come in white, red or black colors. Although quinoa nuts have different colors but their nutritional composition is not much different. So to choose quinoa, you just need to pay attention to their flavor.

Note: White quinoa has the bitterest taste of the three, while black and red quinoa is a bit chewy, so these quinoa are often used in mixed salads.

6. Should I buy treated quinoa or pure quinoa?

Raw and untreated quinoa usually has a layer of saponins surrounded. This is an insect repellant. This layer will not harm your health but its very bitter taste can affect your perfect dish. You can also rinse it off with water, but it won't be completely removed.

The prices of the two types are not much different. Therefore, buying untreated quinoa will cause a little trouble for your dish. You should read carefully the label to see if the quinoa has been processed or not before buying.

Conclusion

With the above processing methods, you can be assured of supplementing protein from this nutritious quinoa with a variety of delicious dishes, helping your meals become expected!