How to cook the perfect quinoa

M any people believe that quinoa is a cereal but this is not true. It is more similar to a vegetable, it is gluten free, has a favorable protein content and contains a number of minerals and B-vitamins. In addition to this, quinoa is used as a substitute for wheat and other grains that are toxic and dangerous for celiac patients. For all these reasons, quinoa is one of the most popular and trendy type of food today. The story of quinoa dates back to 3000 b.C. It originated in the Bolivian Altiplano and was also called the Incas' gold because it was a source of food in the area. Today, many people eat quinoa especially celiacs and vegans. Quinoa is easy to cooked and pimped in many different ways. First of all you need to rinse it under water to remove its bitter, natural flavour and tip into a pan. Now, you need to double the amount of water with salted water. Bring to the boil very slowly till the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. If it is still hard, pour on more water. Fluff it up with a fork and your quinoa is ready to be pimped. There are several ways to pimp quinoa but one of the best is with feta and broad bean salad. Put together cubes of feta, some cumin seeds, broad beans, rapeseed oil and lime juice. Another recipe is quinoa with dried tomatoes and red peppers. Cook some quinoa and add 6 dried tomatoes and some slices of red peppers in oil and vinegar. You can also simply pimp quinoa with extra virgin oil and tofu. [Photo: herb.co]