Mark Bittman has republished this excellent recipe from several years back in his new cookbook, Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix. Toasting fully-cooked quinoa in the oven with smoked paprika and salt gives an entirely new dimension to this fairly high-protein seed, and for me, it is the very best way to eat quinoa. Always having the pulse on what is relevant and practical, Mark Bittman’s recipes are those you will go to again and again.

More filling and satisfying with its seasoning and crunch, use this quinoa as a sprinkle on salads, vegetables, or eggs. A mere 1/8 of a cup of crumbles provides nice substance and excellent texture to any light dish. The salt and chomp pairing can even make it a good nibble when craving a chip experience.For those of you who are Mark Bittman fans from his many years as a New York Times food critic, you will be very pleased with his book’s unique format and the many combinations he provides to help liven your weekday and weekend meal planning.

The cookbook offers other crispy quinoa variations such as quinoa cakes with almonds, rosemary and Dijon–along with 700 additional simple recipes and techniques “to mix and match for endless possibilities.”

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Measure one cup of quinoa and put in pan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Immediately reduce heat to medium or medium-low, cover and continue cooking (giving it an occasional stir) until all the moisture has absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Spread cooked quinoa on large rimmed baking sheet to cool (I like to use parchment paper on my sheet pans). Once cool, sprinkle on the smoked paprika and salt and toss quinoa to uniformly distribute the seasoning. Spread in as even a layer as possible.

Bake until crunchy (about 20-25 minutes in my oven), turning once part way thorough cooking time with spatula. Even out quinoa again after turning. Cool and enjoy! Store what you don’t use in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mark Bittman says it will last up to a week refrigerated.