Quinoa... easy and delicious!

I have eaten and used quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) for the past two and half years, however at the beginning of me using this found treasure,  I had found it somewhat hard to really enjoy (taste- and-smell-wise) and I could not figure out why.  BUT, here I want to share a very simple way to prepare quinoa;  that takes away that weirdy taste and smell to it. I discovered that I just needed to wash it first! and soak it of course.  You will see how. Please trust me that it is simple, might not look like simple at first, but it really is and so worth the time.

Get ready to enjoy a high protein grain (plus many other benefits), that not only makes delicious porridge for breakfast, it can also be used instead of rice (in some cases), and it's just plain delicious!  

Oh! and an added bonus.... if you are a nursing mother, this grain has been know in the regions of the Incas in the Andes and many other parts of the world, as the 'mother's grain'. It has a powerful effect in mother's milk production and provides excellent nutrition during the nursing time and for everyone really. 

So here is my recipe for quinoa porridge. Feel free to use any kind of fruit you like. And just one more thing... give Quinoa a try, you will not regret it! 

Enjoy!

Quinoa Porridge

2 cups quinoa

2 T whey * (see pictures below)

Water

1 t cinnamon

½ t salt

2 T butter (soft)

3/4  c chopped roasted walnuts and almonds

1 mango (chopped)

1 apple (chopped)

Pure maple syrup to taste

2 c whole milk plain yogurt

Start by rinsing the quinoa in running water through a strainer (the grains are small, so use one that has very tiny holes).
Once rinsed very well, place the quinoa in a pan with 2 T of whey (the acitidy of the whey will break down the phitic acid present in the quinoa)  and plenty of warm water to cover and let soak for 12 hours minimum or overnight. Yes you read that right, 12 hours. You will be glad you did.

(To get my whey (and save some money)  I use my whole milk plain yogurt.  


So what's whey?...  It's the serum or watery part of milk / yogurt that gets separated from the curd. It's acidity helps break down the bitter resin-like coating quinoa has called 'saponin' and thus the true delicious flavor and nutrition in the grain comes out.  See?  soaking has a noble purpose.

So to get my whey, I just dig a 'cup' at the top of the yogurt, let it collect whey and keep pouring in a glass jar as it collects. Then I just keep it in my fridge ready to use!)

Once soaked, strain and rinse  the quinoa again.  Return to pot and add clean water (enough to cover the grain plus ½ inch or less).  Bring to a boil and lower to low heat until cooked. (Between 5 - 8 minutes)  You'll know the grain has cooked when it has more than doubled its size, is soft, and most of the water is gone. 

(This is how it will look like once cooked. It cooks fast, so keep an eye on it) 

Turn heat off, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.

Enjoy! 

Notes:
The steps and preparation might seem too much to do. But in reality is fairly simple, you just need to plan ahead and wait. But oh boy, is it worth it!

(You will also notice, the grain sprouts quite quickly, even after just the soaking time, this is an added bonus with this grain, sprouts make it more digestible)