Quinoa Pilaf

Have you ever cooked with quinoa? It’s a South American grain that one prepares in a fashion similar to rice, simmered in water until the liquid is all absorbed. I first started cooking with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) when I lived in San Francisco years ago. It has that wonderful nutty flavor, that actually doesn’t need much added to it; I used to manufacture a quick batch, pour on some flax seed oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and gobble it up. whether you have never tried it, I boost you to track some down. It’s inexpensive, easy to produce, tastes great, and is surprisingly high in protein. For those of us who are sensitive to the gluten in wheat or barley, it’s entirely gluten-free. You can find it at Trader Joe’s or at Whole Foods.

The following is a quinoa pilaf recipe based on one given to me by my friend Steve. The first instance I made it I thought I would improve upon it by using chicken stock in place of the water. poor concept. The pilaf ended up tasting like chicken stock, not quinoa. All of the lovely nuttiness of the quinoa was drowned out by the chicken flavor. that duration I stayed with water, and instead added fresh herbs from our garden, and a just-picked lemon cucumber. I served it cold, more like a pilaf salad, though it would work warm too.

Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe? whether so, I would love to produce out about it.

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