Quinoa Sushi Rolls plus 5 Other Cool Quinoa Recipes - Wholesome Cook (2024)

FAQs

What to add to quinoa while cooking? ›

Stir water, quinoa, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, basil, garlic, and seasoning blend together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork.

Serve with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lime, salt and pepper. Or, add to a soup or serve cold in a salad. Once the quinoa is no longer steaming (but within 2 hours of cooking), place the spiced quinoa in a sealed container and store it in the fridge for up to a few days.

Quinoa can be used in the same way as rice and is great in stuffings, pilafs and breakfast cereals. Try quinoa porridge, and quinoa & apricot muffins. For an alterntative roast, try stuffed butternut squash with quinoa or for a summery salad, try California quinoa & avocado salad.

Once you've made a batch of quinoa, you have endless options for using it. Make it the base of your next grain bowl, toss it into a salad, or stuff it into squash or sweet potatoes. It's also at home in soups & wraps, and it pairs nicely with sweet flavors as well as savory.

*Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Rinse quinoa thoroughly then add to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa).

It all comes down to texture. Add too little water and your grains may burn on the bottom of the pot before they cook through. Add too much water and you'll end up with soggy, overcooked, and mushy grains.

Soak or rinse.

Drain and rinse well before using it in the next step. To rinse quinoa: Place the dry quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it under running tap water for at least 30 seconds. Let the excess water drip off, then it's ready to cook.

Some people are particularly sensitive to saponins, which is why unrinsed cooked quinoa has a reputation for tasting bitter. However, most quinoa that is sold in packages has been "pre-rinsed," which means the saponins have been removed and rinsing isn't necessary.

Quinoa is considered a carbohydrate because it contains many carbs per serving. Although it contains some protein, the macronutrient distribution is closer to what you find in other grains and starches.

What to eat with quinoa? ›

Quinoa's got the carbs covered, so you'll likely want to add some additional protein (eggs, lentils, beans, tofu, chicken), a fat (olive oil, nuts, butter, cheese), and, ideally, some kind of fruit or vegetable (broccoli, berries, squash, spinach).

Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice. Unlike rice, quinoa fibers help to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. Unlike rice, quinoa reduces your blood fat levels after a meal called triglycerides. Quinoa has a higher amount of all essential amino acids.

How Quinoa Helps In Weight Loss? Rich dietary fibre and protein increase metabolism, and that makes quinoa good for weight loss. Cooked Quinoa contains five grams of dietary fibre per cup. Eating high fibre foods is often the missing piece when a person is trying to shed weight.

Quinoa can be consumed anytime – at breakfast, lunch or dinner. But it is best to eat healthy food like quinoa before going to bed. It induces sleep, because it relaxes the muscles, due to its high magnesium and protein content. “One can eat one-two cups of cooked quinoa in a day.

Butter: The lightly sweet flavor and richness of butter perfectly offsets the bitterness and dryness of quinoa. You can use coconut oil or olive oil for vegan. Olive oil can have a bitter aftertaste, so we prefer coconut oil. Garlic powder: Garlic powder adds a nice savory note to quinoa.

The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You can use water (season it with a bit of kosher salt), or you can use any kind of broth (we like to use low-sodium broths and add any extra salt to the finished dish as needed). You can also add a bit of dry white wine to the liquid for another layer of flavor.

Stay vigilant: Stir the grains constantly to avoid burning, watching for that perfect golden moment, around 6 to 8 minutes. Water is this grain's go-to companion, but other liquids–think low-sodium chicken, mushroom or vegetable broth–add flavor. Just keep the ratio 2 cups liquid to 1 cup quinoa.

Place water, rinsed quinoa and kombu in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a bare simmer, cover, and gently cook for 15-20 minutes - until all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat, and let the quinoa sit, covered, for another 10 minutes.

You get the best of both worlds. The cohesion and comforting base of white rice, and the wholesome heartiness of quinoa makes for a combo that is a true representation of how we manage wholesome diets as folks who cook and eat for a living. Full recipe at the link in our bio or just head over to thewoksoflife.com!