Quinoa: I Think I Love You

Last year, a friend introduced me to the wonder-kid of whole grains--quinoa--and dinner hasn't been the same since. In fact, dinner with quinoa is tons of fun because whenever I make it I yell "It's Keen-Waaaaaaaaaah!" as if Oprah has just introduced her studio audience to the biggest secret in the grocery store.
If you haven't been schooled on the health benefits of quinoa, allow me to give a quick mini-lesson. This tiny seed is a nutritional powerhouse, offering up folate, magnesium, magnesium and zinc. On top of that, it's gluten-free, easy to digest and the only grain that is also a complete protein. That's why you'll often hear vegetarians singing Hallelujah into their dinner plates. They get sick of beans, you know.

Preparing quinoa is easy, but there's one essential step that must not be forgotten. There's a bitter coating on quinoa seeds called saponins that must be rinsed off before preparation. Many brands pre-rinse their quinoa before packaging so you can skip this step, but if yours are not pre-rinsed, simply find a mesh sieve with very small holes and run under water for about a minute.

Then, you'll pretty much cook quinoa as you would rice--2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa for about 10-15 minutes. It's so easy and takes well to plenty of different toppings, both savory and sweet. Allow me to elaborate...

{Quinoa with cherry tomatoes, sauteed portabellas, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan}

{Quinoa with black beans, zucchini, red bell pepper, onions, cumin and garlic}

{Quinoa with sauteed kale, butternut squash, garlic, shallots and a drizzle of truffle oil}

{Curried quinoa with zucchini}

 {Quinoa tabbouleh with parsley, mint, tomato, lemon, red onion and olive oil}

In fact, the only gripe I have with quinoa is its price. Those great little great grains tend to cost a pretty penny. And by penny, I mean $6 to $12 a bag, depending on the size.

See. Told you so. 

But hold the phone for a second. Because now I'm about to reveal the biggest secret of all. I know how you can get quinoa for much, much cheaper. Lean in close. I will whisper it to you.

Stop shopping for quinoa at health food stores. Shop for quinoa at Latin American stores.

Oh sorry...you couldn't hear that? Ahem. I said: Stop spending all your money at Whole Paycheck and try to scout out a Latin American store (or the Latin American aisle at your grocery store if you have one). I've found that it costs anywhere from $2-4 dollars less than a similarly sized bag of the more mainstream brands. That means I'm able to eat it much more often than I would otherwise.

Granted, I live in Queens, New York, the most ethnically diverse place in the whole country, so I realize this option might not be available to everyone, but if it is, you should definitely look into it. 

This bag is the exact same weight as the green box that sells for $5.29 and costs $2.99.  They were found in the same grocery store, just different aisles. You do the math. No seriously...you do it. I suck at math. Goya is another brand that offers up a really affordable bag of quinoa (these below were $3.00 each). Keep in mind that these are generally not pre-rinsed brands, but how hard is it to run something through water for a minute?

So today, I tip my hat to the whole grain that's been rocking my world two to three times a week for the past year. Here's to you, my sweet, sweet quinoa...