Veggie Quinoa

My mom was the first person who got me interested in quinoa, and I have her to thank for my big Costco-sized bag of quinoa (which is almost on its last legs!).  I prefer quinoa to rice, and I was even more excited to discover I can cook quinoa in my new rice cooker.

My favorite way to use quinoa is as the base for one of those days when it is time to clean out your fridge.  You can stir fry veggies, chop up herbs, throw in meat, use almost any sauce, add nuts, etc.  Quinoa goes good with almost anything.

Today I was feeling lazy (even too lazy to take pictures) and I had a bunch of extra herbs in the fridge.  I spent some time earlier in the week chopping the herbs, so they were all ready to go.

All you need to do is cook the correct amount of quinoa for your needs - I like to cook a cup at a time, so I have leftovers for the next day.  When cooking quinoa, a simple rule of thumb is to have a 2:1 water to quinoa ratio.  For instance, 1 cup of quinoa needs two cups of water.  Then, bring the quinoa to a solid boil and boil for fifteen minutes.  When done, wait five minutes and fluff.

Then I add my herbs - this time I added cilantro, chives and parsley.

After that, you can add your dressing - I usually do a drizzle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.  Hoisin sauce is great with quinoa, soy sauce goes well, and most viniagrettes would work too.

Then, throw in some chopped nuts, feel free to melt some cheese and ENJOY!