After months of wandering through Thailand, Turkey, Morocco, and Italy, I’m back in Montreal visiting my family for a few weeks. One of the great things about being home (other than seeing family, of course!) is access to a full kitchen — something I miss while out on the road.

First up: Experiments with quinoa! I made this quinoa in strongly brewed Chai tea with vanilla, then served it with swiss chard and roasted chicken with cumin. Surprisingly, it actually worked well. The quinoa took on a great flavour, sweet and smoky all at once, and the chicken and crunchy sunflower seeds I used to top it complimented the flavors well. 

Experiment: Success! I’m calling it Teanoa. 

Now, what tea do I try next?

For those of you looking to make this at home, it’s as easy as ever. Measure out the water for the quinoa, boil it in a pot, and then add a teabag or loose tea in a filter and steep for 10 minutes, covered. Add in the quinoa and bring to a boil again, cooking as usual. Presto! Teanoa for all.

-Jodi