Serving Quinoa in Several Ways
Whether you create disasters or lip smacking savories, cooking is an experiment that will require constant learning and experimentation. It is only if we try out different new recipe combinations that we relish the flavour of it, then often start employing such unfamiliar stuff in the familiar strategies by the food we cook to generate something phenomenal, both nutritionally and also taste-wise. Here we have in your case, two such unconventional ingredients which most people do not usually know about, but which are mandatory for cooking good food. They are the Balsamic Vinegar and the Royal Quinoa.
Quinoa isn't a new miracle discovery. In fact it is often a staple crop of the indigenous peoples in the Andes Mountains more than 6000 years. The Incas referred to it as the "mother grain" and used it in religious rites. Quinoa isn't a genuine grain, its a seed. The quinoa plant is related to spinach, swiss chard and beets. The seed has many in the properties found in grains.
First, you should rinse the quinoa. Quinoa includes a coating called saponin which is soapy and bitter tasting. Most commercial packages of quinoa previously gone through a preliminary rinsing process, however it is good to go ahead and perform a quick rinse by yourself. Just use a good mesh strainer or fine cloth and run cool water from the grains while you sift through them with your fingers or even a spoon. Quinoa grains have become tiny, similar in size to millet. Taste a number of, of course, if they are not bitter they are ready.
Another way on the way to cook quinoa for lunch is usually to mix black beans from it. All you need is 2 ½ to a few cups of cooked quinoa, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic, pinch of ground cumin, pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cans of drained black beans and chopped cilantro.
Comfort food doesn't have to be fatty. Let's get real about unusual root vegetables. Unless you're a hard-core foodie, you're not likely to center a complete side dish around something such as parsnips or celeraic. The best way to bring these rich, "offstage" root vegetables is usually to integrate all of them with what you know and love.