Quinoa (Keen-wah) has become increasing popular over the last few years.  Many people think quinoa is a grain however it is actually a seed and part of the Goosefoot family which also includes, beets, spinach and Swiss chard.  It is frequently referred to as a grain because it is used and cooked like one.  Not only is quinoa higher in protein than other whole grains, but it provides complete protein – meaning all 9 essential amino acids are present.  This is especially helpful for those who are avoiding meat products and need an alternative source of protein.  Quinoa is also a better source of iron than other whole grains, having 4 times the iron as brown rice.

There are many reasons you should consider adding quinoa to your diet.  Besides its health benefits and tasting great, quinoa cooks quickly and can be eaten hot or cold.  You can use quinoa in salads, pilafs, as a stuffing for peppers and squash or a breakfast cereal with low-fat milk and brown sugar, crispy pan fried quinoa cakes with smoked salmon….the list goes on.

This time around I tried a different method of cooking quinoa.  I followed a recipe from Epicurious that calls for boiling the quinoa, then steaming it. This made for fluffy, perfectly cooked quinoa. When I first made quinoa I followed the majority of recipes  that call for 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water.  This is just too much water!  So if you prefer to skip the steaming method, you can cook the quinoa in a saucepan but I would suggest decreasing the water to 1 1/2 cups for 1 cup of quinoa.

Quinoa Salad with Cranberries, Cilantro, Cucumbers & Radicchio

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt for cooking quinoa

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup packed finely chopped cilantro

1/3 cup finely diced cucumber

1/4 c finely chopped radicchio (or red cabbage)

salt and pepper

Preparation

Steam method

Wash quinoa in a large bowl of cold water.  Drain and repeat 5 times rubbing the quinoa between your fingers.

In a medium saucepan (3 qt. works well) bring 4- 5 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon regular sea salt.  Add the rinsed quinoa.  Once the water returns to a boil reduce heat to medium high and cook quinoa uncovered for 10 minutes.

Using a fine mesh sieve drain the quinoa and rinse under cold water.  Set the sieve over a  saucepan of boiling water (about 2 inches of water so quinoa does not come in contact with the water) and steam covered with a kitchen towel and lid until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes.

While the quinoa is steaming whisk the olive oil and lemon juice  in a small bowl.

Transfer steamed quinoa to a large bowl to cool.  Once cool, add the cranberries, cilantro, cucumber and radicchio and toss with the quinoa.  Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice dressing over the quinoa and mix to combine.  Add salt and a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Basic cooking directions without steaming: Rinse quinoa as noted above and drain well.  In a medium saucepan bring 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil.  Add quinoa, cover the saucepan and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes keeping the lid on the pan.  Fluff quinoa, cool and proceed with the recipe.

***If I have any leftover salad I usually add a little extra lemon juice to it the next day since the quinoa tends to absorb the dressing the first day it’s made. I prefer my salad dressing to be on the tart side without too much oil.