COOKING GUIDE
Ancient Grains Cooking Guide
Discover the simplicity and nourishment of cooking ancient grains like quinoa and amaranth. If you haven’t heard of or cooked with these grains before, you may not know where to start. But once you've mastered the art, it's a breeze! And the taste... we have a feeling you’ll be hooked.
Our quinoa cooks in less than 15 minutes on the stovetop and even less in a pressure cooker, making it a perfect base for nutritious meals in a pinch! However, grain cooking isn't one-size-fits-all; factors like altitude, method, storage, water, and temperature matter. Our advice? Embrace experimentation and relish the joy of crafting wholesome, nutritious meals.
To get you started, we developed this guide with tips and tricks, our favorite cooking methods, and suggested cooking times. We're dedicated to ensuring your culinary experience with our ancient grains is a satisfying one, so reach out to us @eatsimpli or at info@eatsimpli.com with any questions. Now let’s dive in!
PREP
When cooking most grains, a simple yet crucial step is rinsing. Take a moment to cleanse the grains under cold water before cooking, ensuring a clean canvas for your culinary creations. Once rinsed, you can start cooking the grains using your preferred method.
FLAVOR ENHANCERS
Our grains will soak up the flavors you cook them in whichever method you choose. Season with 1 tsp salt and your favorite seasonings if you wish (we love a glug of olive oil and our salt blends). You can also swap out water for broth in any of the cooking methods below to add an extra dose of flavor, but remember to adjust your other seasonings accordingly.
ANCIENT GRAIN Cooking Guide
STOVETOP
- Place dried grains and water in a small pot (1 cup of grains per 2 cups of water for quinoa and 2 ½ for amaranth), and season with your desired flavor enhancers
- Bring water to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for the recommended time or until water is absorbed
- Fluff with a fork, taste, and season again before serving if desired
RICE COOKER
- Place dried grains and water in your rice cooker (1 cup of grains per 2 cups of water for quinoa and 2 ½ for amaranth) and season with your desired flavor enhancers
- Stir and cover
- Set the rice cooker to the “white rice” setting
- Leave undisturbed for the recommended cooking time, or until the water is absorbed
- Fluff with a fork, taste, and season again before serving if desired
PRESSURE COOKER
- Place dried grains and water in your pressure cooker (1 cup of grains per 2 cups of water and 2 1/2 for amaranth), and season with your desired flavor enhancers
- Set on high for the recommended cooking time
- Leave undisturbed for the recommended cooking time, or until the water is absorbed
- Fluff with a fork, taste, and season again before serving if desired
COOKING TIMES
Experiment with cooking our grains until you discover your preferred texture—for quinoa, a longer cook time will result in more dense seeds, whereas a shorter cook time will result in more tender seeds. For amaranth, a longer cook time and more liquid will result in a porridge-like consistency, whereas a shorter cook time will result in a quinoa-like consistency.
Ancient grains like quinoa and amaranth are culinary wonders, offering many nutritional benefits and making a versatile base for your favorite dishes. Let this guide effortlessly guide you in incorporating them seamlessly into your cooking and get inspired by our favorite recipes!
