Cooking Basics

If you follow the cooking instructions scribed across the box or bag of quinoa, then chances are you're doing it wrong. Though nutty, toothsome, and all-around lovely when steamed properly, cooked quinoa can often fall short, resulting in a mushy, mealy, or even unpalatably bitter mess. Avoid these problems with a few easy steps.

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the quinoa. Most quinoa sold is "prerinsed" but could use some extra help to ensure that all of the naturally occurring, bitter, soapy-tasting coating present on all unprocessed quinoa is washed away. Add the uncooked quinoa to a fine mesh strainer, and rinse it under cool water until all the kernels are dampened.
3. Add the rinsed quinoa to the boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the quinoa is just barely al dente. Strain it using a fine-mesh strainer.
4. Add an inch of water to the quinoa pot, set the fine-mesh strainer (with the cooked quinoa still in it) inside the pot; make sure the quinoa doesn't touch the water. Cover with a dish towel and the pot's lid, turn the heat up to high, and steam for 3-5 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and no longer waterlogged.
5. Turn the quinoa out into a bowl, fluff it up with a fork, and use as desired in any recipe.

Before my nose fully reached the countertop, my grandmother would show me how to fry up a piece of bacon just to render the bacon fat for my favorite lady pea recipe. After all, the Southern attitude is of the "who needs spices or herbs when bacon's flavor will saturate and perfect just about any dish?" mentality. I've maintained that perspective in my kitchen today, and urge you to do the same. If you've been prone to toss out the liquid gold after frying up a few pieces of bacon, for goodness' sake, stop! Let me show you how to handle, store, and use bacon grease.

When building salads, it's far too easy to get stuck in a rut. You know what works, buy the same ingredients, and inevitably eat green leaf lettuce with black olives, sliced tomatoes, and shredded carrots everyday. However, with a little creativity and an open mind at the grocery store, you can enjoy a fabulous variety of healthful yet crave-worthy salads on a regular basis. To get inspired, take a walk around the produce section and be inspired by the vegetables and fruits you come across. Try a new lettuce or pick up a veggie you're unfamiliar with. Just remember: from crunchy to creamy to crispy, a good salad has an assortment of textures (and colors). Here are a few ways to shake things up in the salad department.

Filling Proteins

• Think beyond grilled chicken: Sliced steak, chunks of pork, and flaked fish are excellent additions. Deli meats, like salami, ham, and turkey are easily shreddable, too.
• Don't forget cheese and nuts:To achieve the aforementioned crunchy and creamy textures, toss in goat or feta cheese and almonds or pine nuts. Hard cheeses, like manchego and parmesan, can be shaved onto the salad, or finely grated into the vinaigrette.
• Grains are all important: Protein-rich grains like quinoa, brown rice, and barley add vegan heft to greens.
• Repurpose leftovers: Toss leftover vegetables, grains, and proteins with greens the next day to make a one-of-a-kind salad.

See more salad-making ideas.

Are you guilty of skipping the common recipe directive to freshly grind spices like nutmeg, coriander, and the subject at hand: cardamom? Sure, it tacks on time to your recipe prep, but the results are more than worth the minimal time and effort. As soon as spices are ground (often months earlier, if buying preground spices), aroma and flavor begins to dissipate; wait a year to use your spice stash, and you'll be working with what's essentially lightly scented dust. Instead, make the extra effort; trust us, you'll be a freshly ground convert once you taste the difference.

Keep reading to learn how to grind cardamom.