Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan. Easy crowd-pleasers absolutely anyone can make. Luckily, it’s easy to get rid of this coating by rinsing the quinoa just before cooking. It's hard to beat the taste of pesto made from fresh basil, high-quality olive oil, pine nuts, freshly ground black peppercorns, and parmesan cheese. Also try to go with a black peppercorn grinder over pre-ground black pepper. If you've found that you dislike quinoa because it's too much like mush, this might be what you need to do. It should also have a little white ring around the outside to indicate it’s ready. If possible, try to go with grass-fed butter over regular butter as it likely has more health benefits. This recipe from Food.com shows you exactly how much to add to make it taste the best. It's easy and delicious, and makes a great side dish. After something like this, you'll never see quinoa the same way again. Add a tablespoon (or more) of olive oil to the pot on medium heat, then add the quinoa. I'm here to tell you that if you haven't been thrilled with this grain, you're probably preparing it incorrectly. Quinoa is a superfood superstar: it's high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, as well as being gluten-free and easy to digest. Take the basting butterflies out of your stomach and banish any stress this Christmas with our sage cooking advice. This simple recipe from Good Life Eats mixes quinoa with coconut oil and coconut milk for a sweet and savory side dish. Let it toast until the quinoa browns but doesn't burn (usually about two to three minutes), then add water. Here are some of the top pre-rinsed quinoa brands: Pesto goes great with many different grains and quinoa is no exception. Healthier options than soda that taste better than water. One final tip to make quinoa taste better is to add it to a strong tasting soup like tomato soup, french onion soup, or chicken noodle soup. Hence, measure and cook accordingly. It’s so much more versatile than you may think and goes way beyond a simple, to add body, mix it with breadcrumbs to create a healthier alternative to, or fish, use it as a gluten-free binder in, to use as a crunchy salad topping. According to I Heart Keenwah, "Pre-toasting quinoa before you cook it is the single most import way to enhance the flavor of the seed.". Once boiling, cover, turn the heat down to medium and let cook approx. For additional flavor, I like to toast quinoa with a bit of oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or even butter would work) over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it is lightly browned. Yorkshire Tea's expert buyers reveal their secrets to making a proper brew. But quinoa is less obvious and goes well with almost anything. The trick to making almost any food in the world taste better is to add cheese, and quinoa is obviously no exception. Throw all that nonsense away. Discover the best pre-washed and pre-rinsed quinoa brands and different ways to make quinoa taste better. It really makes a big difference. Colors include: If you don't cook quinoa long enough it'll be too crunchy. But to make it extra delicious, toast the quinoa in olive oil first. If you have a rice cooker, you can also let it do the work for you:... Set over high heat and bring to a boil. But as this list proves, you can do a lot more with it than you think. Toasting your quinoa before cooking is another way to make quinoa taste good. Part of HuffPost Food & Drink. And while it is totally possible for quinoa to feel uninspired, it's also very possible to make it taste amazing. Lighter Baked Chicken Nuggets Coated in Quinoa. Experiment with spicy flavors like Chipotle and Jamaican Jerk. This will also happen if you don't use enough water. It can also be mixed with veggies and a protein for a spicy quinoa bowl. It's also very simple to make. These are simple ways to flavor quinoa as you're cooking it, that should make it not only more flavorful but also more palatable if you're someone that finds it bitter. To make quinoa, you mix it with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer … Images: The Kitchn; The Kitchn; Love and Lemons; Half-Baked Harvest; Half-Baked Harvest; Making Thyme For Health; The Kitchn; Half-Baked Harvest; Good Life Eats; Half-Baked Harvest; Love and Lemons; Naturally Ella; Making Thyme For Health; Good Life Eats; Giphy.com. Also like pesto, the best guacamole is made with fresh ingredients. Keen One makes a variety of already prepared quinoa with spicy flavors like Chipotle and Jamaican Jerk. You'll enjoy it so much that you probably won't even need to add anything else to it. Before you drain it, taste the quinoa to see if it’s done ― it should be tender but still have a bite. Just like nuts and … For 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, you'll want 2 cups of water—this will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Try our free Diet Optimizer Quiz and get quick, customized ideas like: 59 Tips and Flavors to Make Tea Taste Better, 10 Easy Ways to Burn Calories Without Working Out, 16 Quick Ways to Make Peas and Green Beans Taste Better. All rights reserved. For more ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube. If you're low on time, 365 Basil Pesto or Amore Pesto Paste are convenient alternatives. It essentially makes your quinoa even more of a healthy superfood, and can also make it taste better. The first step to perfect quinoa is toasting it. But did you know there are variety of different colors of quinoa with slightly different tastes? Watch the video above for a step-by-step tutorial on how to rinse quinoa. Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa. The key to fluffy, tender quinoa is about, Now that you know how to cook quinoa, let’s talk about different ways you can use it. Read on for these 17 easy ways to make your quinoa taste better. Copyright © 2020 Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. Cook in vegetable, chicken or beef broth: Cooking quinoa in chicken, vegetable, or beef stock is probably the easiest way to flavor it. After it’s nice and toasty, it’s time to rinse it. I think I might like it better than regular oats, personally. 2. When most people think of quinoa, they think of it as a boring, healthy side dish with some veggies. Looking for something with more of a kick? Another way to easily and quickly make quinoa taste better without cooking anything else is to add herbs and spices. Giada’s healthy recipe is an easy, accessible intro into the quinoa … Toasting your quinoa before cooking is another way to make quinoa taste good. While you’re bringing the water to a boil, throw in some aromatics to bump up the flavor. Then fluff it with a fork, just like couscous. Perfectly-crisp pastry bottoms and totally outrageous fillings from rich chocolate to zesty lemon. Probably because they’re cooking it wrong. You can cook quinoa in a rice cooker (or the Instant Pot), but the best way to cook quinoa is actually on the stovetop. You can use quinoa to make healthy quinoa salad recipes like Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Black Bean Quinoa Salad, and make breakfast porridge or you can serve it with braised meat, casseroles. Quinoa is a nutritious alternative to refined grains. You could also sauté some chopped up onions if you're into that kind of flavor as well. Butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper is another combination that works great with a lot of different foods. If you'd like to add a bit more flavor, cook it in vegetable or chicken broth instead of water (or do half and half). Stir it into your morning oatmeal, add it to granola bars, use it to replace traditional flour in cakes, bake it into breakfast cookies, mix it into your Sunday pancake batter or even turn it into chocolate bark. But The Kitchn makes a compelling argument for using less water â less water makes quinoa less mushy, and more light. Giada’s healthy recipe is an easy, accessible intro into the quinoa-cooking world. Quinoa has a natural coating, called saponin, that can make the cooked grain taste bitter or soapy. Like pesto, guacamole is a great addition to a variety of foods including quinoa. Toast it to release more flavor.. Bring the mixture to a …, Coupon for ” It’s gluten-free, high in fiber and a rare complete protein (, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. OK! One final tip to make quinoa taste better is to add it to a strong tasting soup like tomato soup, french onion soup, or chicken noodle soup. Finally, using vegetable or chicken broth instead of water is a great way to add flavor to your quinoa. It’s so much more versatile than you may think and goes way beyond a simple quinoa salad. Savory quinoa with vegetables and a protein is a terrific dinner option. All rights reserved. Alternatively, if you cook quinoa too long, it'll be mushy and soft. 2020 Bustle Digital Group. No one will say no to that. You’ll thank yourself later. Easy ways to flavor quinoa: Broth: first and foremost, change up the liquid that you're using to cook your quinoa. Hey, quinoa haters: This relationship can be repaired with just a few small adjustments. Look at any quinoa box, and you'll see that the directions say to make it with one part quinoa, two parts water (so, one cup of quinoa and two cups of water).