How To Prepare Quinoa
What is there to say about quinoa? It’s delicious. It’s versatile. It’s healthy. It’s a protein, not a carbohydrate. It’s gluten-free. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. It’s really just all around amazing and it happens to have a pretty interesting history too. Originally grown in ancient Central America, quinoa was a favorite of the Incan Empire and was considered a sacred food. It was even incorporated into religious ceremonies. That’s how special quinoa was. When the Spanish conquistadores settled into the Americas, they eliminated quinoa from the Incan culture and urged them to grow wheat instead. What happened next was devastating, as it took hundreds of years for quinoa to make a comeback. Lucky for us, it’s here and it’s most certainly staying. Not able to really be compared to anything else, this protein packed grain is full of wonderful taste, texture and recipe ideas promise.
In this online cooking class with Chef Cesar, he teaches you how to cook quinoa. Get ready for more recipes than you know what to do with!
Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ red pepper flakes
1 Red bell pepper
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 cup corn
5 Green onions, finely copped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup crumble cheese (Feta or farmers cheese)
- Clean quinoa under cold water, rub between your hands.
- Cook quinoa until all liquid is absorbed; cool quinoa.
- Blend olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes
- Combine tomatoes, black beans, red peppers, corn, and green onions, cilantro in a bowl. Pour dressing over vegetables, add quinoa mixture, tossed to coat; season with salt and pepper. Top with crumbled feta cheese.
