Quinoa Three Ways

Quinoa - a food that Brittny, my receptionist, would flatly refuse to eat if I brought it to our next pot-luck. Although quinoa sounds exotic, it's remarkably tasty, versatile, and simple to prepare.

Quinoa has 14 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving - impressive, right?

Quinoa comes in white, red, and black varieties. It has a mild, nutty flavor. You can substitute it easily for rice, couscous, or bulghur in recipes. I make a big batch of it and eat it all week. Here's how to make it and stir in delicious additions for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Basic Quinoa Ingredients:

Basic ingredients (this will make about 4 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa, so adjust up or down as you like. Just use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa):

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa

• 3 cups liquid (water or broth)

Preparation:

1. You have to rinse quinoa, or it will be a little bitter. I pour the dry quinoa into a mesh strainer and run water over it for a full minute.

2. Place the rinsed quinoa into a saucepan with a lid. Add 3 cups liquid. If I'm making this for breakfast, I use water. If it's for dinner, I use chicken broth.

3. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. I told you it was easy!

For breakfast:

LOTS OF BANANAS HERE, WITH RED QUINOA, HONEY AND CINNAMON.

For breakfast, add some or all of the following to a cup of prepared quinoa. Serve hot, like oatmeal:

• Sliced fruit: bananas, apples, or berries

• Shredded coconut

• Honey or agave nectar

• Maple syrup

• Dried fruit - cranberries, cherries, apricots, raisins

• Yogurt

For lunch:

ADD FETA CHEESE, CHOPPED BASIL, AND A FEW CHOPPED PEPPADEW PEPPERS, AND YOU HAVE A DELICIOUS LUNCH.

For lunch, try adding this to a cup of quinoa. It packs in plasticware easily, and is delicious at room temperature:

• A few tablespoons of crumbly cheese, like feta or gorgonzola

• A tablespoon of chopped basil

• 1/4 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, or some chopped red bell peppers or peppadew peppers (my favorite!)

• Pinch of salt

• My husband thinks everything is better with meat - try some chopped salami, ham, or turkey

For dinner:

THIS IS A REALLY EASY, TASTY DINNER. OMIT THE CHICKEN AND YOU HAVE A GREAT SIDE DISH.

For a family dinner, quinoa can be a great main dish or side dish. Here is a dinner using all 1 1/2 cups of quinoa:

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or chopped (or use the meat from a rotisserie chicken)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 heaping teaspoon curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 carrots, peeled and grated or finely diced

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 2-3 chopped green onions (or chopped red onion)

• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

• 1/2 cup dried fruit - I like cranberries

To prepare, stir together all the above ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour over quinoa and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.