What is quinoa?

Inpatskitchen has the cooking time down. I really like quinoa (in its various colors) but I've also seen the vegan horde cook it to mush. It cooks faster than rice and plumps up well. That little curly germ should be showing.

Though it looks (and works in recipes) much like a grain, quinoa is actually the seed of a leafy plant. It is an ancient food, used by the Incas and still grown in that part of South America, though some growers are now growing quinoa in the US. Nutritionally, it is a great source of vegetable protein and also contains no gluten. Most importantly, I think it's delicious.

Usually quinoa is simmered in 2 parts liquid to one part quinoa for about 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.