Quinoa

I must admit I prefer couscous, the whole family will eat that, quinoa was a thumbs down. But I have been asked to cook it for various functions, you must wash it first to remove the bitter taste. Put it in a large bowl and fill with water. Swish it about then strain out as much water was you can, I just use my hand to stop the grain , repeat 2 or 3 times, it doesn’t matter if you don’t get all the water out just as much as you can. Then cook as rice - one part unwashed grain to two parts water, bring to gentle simmer then reduce heat, simmer slowly until all the water is gone, about 10 minuets, cover with a lid and steam for about 5 minuets, fluff with fork, and it’s done, easy really.

Does it need washing really?

We only have quinoa when it comes in ready made grain salads from marks or included with Tilda brown rice. It does come in ready eat/heat sachets as well. Tasteless stuff anyway.

It comes in packets much easier and much nicer

Quinoa is one of those things that doesn’t taste like much but does take on other flavours and is super easy to cook. I like it cold in a salad mixed with spring onions, chopped celery, maybe a bit of hummus, dressing, also hot in a sweet potato curry, instead of rice.

I really don't like the flavour of the quinoa grains. I will just carry on with my salad eating.
I am begining to like salad more than cooked vegetables. I really like my Cos lettuce. it has some real flavour.

I have only attempted to cook it once; disaster! I think I over cooked it and it rather resembled wallpaper paste!

I've eaten it once and could find nothing special about it at all. So I have never bothered to buy it and cook it myself. You do not have to eat something just because it is the new in thing that all health freaks are eating

Thank you everyone.
I've failed miserably so have told my DH to call in at Asda on his way home for a sieve. Haven't even got as far a cooking it, I've fallen at rinsing. Tomorrow it will be conquered!
A sieve, how grown up I am

???

A teatowel or, better still, a muslin cloth. However, the grains will stick to the cloth, so it'll be a bit of a fiddle getting them off again afterwards. Perhaps you could just dip the cloth with the sticky grains into the saucepan of boiling water and shake them off.

Otherwise, quinoa is really easy to cook and use, both hot and cold, and has an interesting taste, so don't let it beat you!

If you don't have a sieve or muslin I would line a colander with a couple of sheets of kitchen paper.
I've never bought or eaten the stuff, didn't know you had to drain it.

I use a fine sieve, muslin would do but maybe you could drain it through a clean tea towel.