Coconut Ginger Quinoa

The idea for this recipe came to me while I was riding on a train. I suppose it was the sort of idea that happens when you are in between being awake and falling asleep. Or when you've been staring out the window at the blurring scenery and your mind wanders, drifts and is just catching random thoughts in its sleepy net. It's not life changing or anything particularly important, but for some reason, as the train rushed along, coconut ginger quinoa came to me.

Do you think I'm crazy yet? Perhaps insane for thinking of an off beat grain when I should have been day dreaming about chocolate cake or cream puffs. Perhaps crazier for sharing with you where this small recipe idea came to me. If I had dreamed of yogurt covered parsnips would I be sharing it here? Maybe if I could make them as simply flavorful and healthful as this quinoa.

I do love quinoa, especially for breakfast with pecans, sliced apples, and plain yogurt with a drizzle of maple syrup. I often make it instead of brown rice since it cooks faster and it is so nutritious. You probably know that quinoa is a complete protein and its a welcome change to have protein in the form of a grain. The coconut milk adds flavor and healthy fats, making this a great dish to pair with vegetables for a satisfying, healthy meal.



Coconut Ginger Quinoa
I love red quinoa, but haven't been able to find it at my local coop. I don't think there is big difference in flavor from one color quinoa to another so use whatever kind you like. This quinoa goes well with roasted vegetables, a stir fry, or a curry. You can adjust the amount of ginger to your taste, this recipe is pretty gingery. If you have left over coconut milk, you could make this other recipe for dessert!

1 cup quinoa 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh sieve and run it under cold water, shaking the grains around briefly to make sure they are all rinsed. This helps to remove the bitter flavor. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan over high heat. Cover until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low so that it simmers continuously for about 15 minutes. You can tell that it is done cooking when all of the water is absorbed and the grains are much larger in size. The quinoa will be moist, but if there is too much moisture when the grains are cooked, remove the lid and let out the steam. Serve hot. Makes about 4 cups cooked.