Quinoa Is Good For You!

Being a superfood, quinoa is totally good for you. The tricky part is getting it clean - I have to pick it over for rocks and other random debris, then soak it for a few minutes (skimming off any floaters), and rinse in a wire mesh colander. I also give it a bit of a scrub between my hands while soaking to get rid of any clinging saponin.

Double Broccoli Quinoa

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

• 3/4 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 3 cups broccoli, cut into small florets and steamed
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• salt
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

After cleaning quinoa, bring to a boil with 1 1/2 cups water and a big pinch of salt, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes - it's done when you can see the curlicues. To make the broccoli pesto, puree 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli with nuts, parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth. Toss pesto and quinoa with the remaining florets. Add extra salt, lemon juice, or parmesan, as you prefer. I added a few dashes of Al Wok seasoning (brand is Indo Deli), which includes garlic, coriander, ginger, onion, and basil.

Quinoa with Black Beans

adapted from All Recipes

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• splash of olive oil
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 1 1/2-2 cups cooked black beans
• handful of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned - about 6 minutes. Add quinoa and cover with stock. Season with cumin, cayenne, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in corn (if using frozen, simmer until heated through), beans and herb. Then, pat yourself on the back for making such a healthy meal and reward yourself with dessert.