Quinoa

Directions

→ 1 cup uncooked quinoa weighs 6½ ounces (185 g).

→ Use 1¾ parts liquid to 1 part quinoa as a rule of thumb for the absorption method.

→ Cook quinoa for 10 to 18 minutes.

→ 1 cup (185 g) uncooked quinoa yields 3 cups (515 g) cooked.

Notes

• Why I love it: I'll admit it, l got a little sick of quinoa showing up in every magazine and blog post-the grain has one heck of a marketing campaign behind it-but this pseudo-grain earned the popularity contest win on its own merits.

• What it tastes like: To put it simply, quinoa is deli- cious. It's crunchy when toasted, and has a unique springy, fluffy texture when cooked in liquid. It has a mild but slightly beany flavor that works well with so many other ingredients. And though quinoa comes in colors, they're very similar in flavor.

•> Common forms: White or tan is most common, but red, black, or a blend (tricolor) is easy to find

•> How to prepare it: One reason quinoa was so quick to catch on is that it's so fast to cook. Unlike many other whole grains, it can be on the table in 15 minutes with no soaking required. I usually use the absorption method to cook quinoa, because the boil-like-pasta method can produce soggy quinoa.

•> How it's good for you: A lot of the credit for qui- noa's popularity goes to its nutrients. A super- powered pseudo-grain, it provides complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids our bodies can't make on their own.