Quinoa
Soaked and Cooked Quinoa
1 Cup Quinoa
Water
2 Tbsp. Whey, Kefir, Buttermilk, or 1 Tbsp. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt, Optional
1. Soak quinoa in 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp. whey, on your counter, for 12-24 hours. At this point, you can place an airtight cover on the container and place it in the fridge, soaking liquid and all, for up to a week, or cook the quinoa right away.
2. Before cooking, drain soaked quinoa through a very fine mesh strainer, a strainer lined with a kitchen towel, or a nut milk bag. Rinse well with cool water. Give the strainer a shake to ensure that there is no excess liquid.
3. Add soaked quinoa, 3/4 cups of water, and salt to a small pot. Quinoa will be fluffier if it is not cooked in too big of a pot.
4. Watching carefully, bring to a full rolling boil.
5. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from heat and let stand covered for 5-10 more minutes.
7. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and enjoy. Use in place of white rice and pasta, add to a savory dish, a soup, or cold salad. I like a little scoop of quinoa on a green salad, to give the salad more staying power. We also use quinoa for grain bowls.
TIPS
Things that can affect your cooking time and liquid amount required:
How long soaked. If you soak less than 12 hours, you may need additional water.
Type of cooking vessel, size and shape. The water will evaporate faster in a more wide and shallow shaped pan.
Age of grains. Old grains may take longer to cook.
Quantity cooked. If you significantly increase your volume of grains cooked, you will need to also increase cooking time.
Type of cooking method ie: stove top, rice cooker, oven method. Each method will very slightly. For health reasons, I do not recommend cooking grains in a pressure cooker.
Altitude also affects cooking time. I am at an altitude of 4,775, if you are at high altitude or sea level, you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.
Prepare to be a little flexible the first time you soak and cook a particular grain. Consider it an experiment. Start with this as a base and alter it as needed.