Sprouting Quinoa

As you all know, I've gotten into raw foods lately. I've heard that you can make raw dishes with quinoa (and other grains), so I set my sights on making something raw, delicious and quinoa-y. In my research I came across sprouted quinoa, which intrigued me, but I've never sprouted before. In fact, the only sprouts I've ever had are of the bean and clover variety. Well, I take that back, I have had sprouted grains in Ezekiel English muffins, but that's it. So, I knew I had to do it - I had to sprout.

Step one:

Last night, around dinner time, I put 1/4 cup quinoa in a wide-mouthed glass jar and covered it in filtered water. I didn't measure the amount of water, but use at least 1 cup.



Step two:

Before bed (after 4-6 hours) I rinsed and drained the quinoa thoroughly. At this stage you can already see the quinoa is plumper and softer looking. I covered the jar with a towel and left it in a cool place overnight.



Step three:

In the morning I rinsed and drained the quinoa again and left it in the jar, covered, for another 5 hours. We have sproutage!





Step four:

After at least 5 hours have passed, rinse and drain the quinoa one more time. You'll know it is done when the sprouts are between 1/2" and 1" long. Put the jar in the fridge to stop sprouting if you're not using right away.



Step five:

Make a delicious sprouted quinoa salad.


Super(foods) sprouted quinoa salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup quinoa (~3/4 cup sprouted)
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp goji berries, reconstituted in filtered water
- 2 sundried tomatoes, soaked in filtered water and chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Chopped walnuts, for garnish


Dressing
- 1 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Dump everything into a bowl, toss and allow to chill for at least an hour. The longer it sits, the more the flavors meld. Top with walnuts.


This salad is packed with nutrition. Tomatoes, red peppers, goji berries, walnuts, sprouts and chili powder are not only super delicious, but they're superfoods! My little experiment worked well - the sprouts were a nice combination of soft and crunchy and the salad was light, delicate and healthy. Also, I know goji berries are typically reserved for sweet dishes, but they taste great in a savory dish. I definitely plan on sprouting more and experimenting. Next on the list: maybe rice or lentils!