I will confess that I’m really not a very good cook… I do try, really I do but the reality is that it just doesn’t come naturally to me. I find it tedious and stressful, not to mention expensive due to my high turnover of pots and pans and regular culinary disasters. Despite this, I am adamant that my children eat healthy food. As I only allow them one takeaway meal a week (usually sushi, sometimes pizza) this means that I do more cooking than I would like to. Fortunately I have found that the healthiest cooking is actually often the simplest.

One of my greatest discoveries is ‘quinoa’.  Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a small disk shaped seed that looks a lot like a sesame seed. Classified as a grain, quinoa is actually the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach. It was a staple of the ancient Incas who called quinoa the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. I revere it too – for it’s nutritional qualities and the fact that it’s so easy and fast to prepare; just perfect for ‘simple’ cooks like myself.

Nutritionally quinoa is a ‘protein powerhouse’ – it contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a “complete” protein. It is also high in antioxidants, fiber, and minerals and is gluten free.

I cook with Quinoa several times a week. I use it as a substitute for rice or couscous, in salads, stir frys and even in casseroles. It really is so versatile – the texture is light and fluffy, not sticky or starchy and it has a delicious, slightly nutty, flavor. Best of all, it cooks quickly so when the children come home starving and you have nothing to dish up, quinoa is a great one to have up your sleeve (just whip up a quick fresh napoletana sauce, grate some parmesan and voila –  there’s your meal kids!)

Simply prepare as you would rice. Rinse it first to remove the bitter coating then combine one part quinoa to two parts water, bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for fifteen minutes. Seriously easy and so, so delish!

-Sara