Even if your parents were fairly healthy, chances are you didn’t grow up eating quinoa.  And, because quinoa recipes weren’t on the menu you may have never learned how to cook quinoa.  Never fear!

Cooking quinoa is easy and there are many different ways that it can be accomplished.  I’ve been cooking quinoa for quite some time now, and I can tell you how to cook quinoa perfectly…every time!

Now, to cook quinoa the first thing you will need to do is consider what type of quinoa recipes you are making.  There are two basic ways that quinoa can be prepared.  The first is great when you are trying to cook a large amount of quinoa so that you can have it on hand to whip up your favorite quinoa burger or quinoa salad.  The second method is better suited to quinoa recipes that require you to cook quinoa with onions, peppers or spices.

First, there is one thing you must remember.  Quinoa needs to be rinsed prior to cooking.  The reason is that the seeds are covered in a bitter substance called saponin.  A natural pest repellant, saponin is so bitter that birds and other pest leave the quinoa alone as it grows.

To rinse quinoa, place it under a stream of water until the water runs clear.  This should take about 5 minutes, assuming you have not purchased pre-rinsed quinoa.  (In which case you will probably only need to rinse the quinoa for a minute or two.)

How to Cook Quinoa the Easy Way

The easiest way to cook quinoa is to simply boil it.  Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain and return the quinoa to the warm saucepan.  Cover and allow to sit covered for 10 to 15 minutes.

How to Prepare Quinoa Perfectly

Now the above method works great and is super easy, but it is not the best method if you are going to be seasoning your quinoa as you cook it.  To get perfect quinoa every time, you will want to combine one part quinoa with 1.25 parts liquid.  I highly recommend you use something other than water. Broth, juice, milk all lend flavor as the quinoa cooks.

Place your liquid and rinsed quinoa in a saucepan.  Bring it to a simmer – which is just before a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover.  Cook for 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit another 5 minutes.

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