Kitchen Basics – Quinoa

I’m a quinoa convert.  As seems to be my custom, I’m late to the bandwagon on this healthy, gluten free, decidedly odd looking, whole grain.  The first few times I tried Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) I didn’t love it.  I thought tasted pretty bland and had a “icky” texture, so I leapt right back to my good old friend, brown rice.

After getting a few requests for recipes with quinoa and becoming more than a tired of my old friend, I decided to give it another try.  I made the quinoa six ways from Sunday until I landed on a recipe that created fluffy, tasty quinoa every time.  Add my favorite herb and a splash citrus and the result is this delicious, easy and fantastic Quinoa with Cilantro and Lime.  And can I just say – I’m a believer!

This terrific side dish goes with just about anything.  We’ve enjoyed it with grilled chicken, pork and fish.  I also love the leftovers heated up with a couple of farm fresh eggs for breakfast.  If you are a quinoa fan, this will a great addition to your recipe box.  If you’re like me and still need a little convincing – give this one a try.  I think you’ll be a quinoa convert too.