Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained *See Note 1
- 2 cups stock (any flavor really) *See Note 2
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional but it helps with the toasting)
Instructions
- Put the quinoa and butter in a pan and saute over medium for about 5-7 minutes or until the quinoa smells nutty. They will also get slightly browned (don’t burn them!). Also, stir gently while they are cooking.
- Pour the stock and bring just to a boil.
- Once it boils, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for
- ~15 minutes or until the liquid is all dissolved.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered.
- After 5 minutes, remove the lid, fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve. (You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.)
Notes
Note 1: Why rinse quinoa? Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Although boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse at home. Some cookbooks suggest soaking the quinoa but, in our experience, this is unnecessary.
Note 2: You can use plain water if you’re going with a non-savory dish. When making sweetened ones I tend to use milk and water. Using stock helps enhance the flavor of the quinoa
