a Whole Foods Market Customer added 8 months ago

Rinse 1c quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, rubbing and swishing it vigorously with one hand for at least 2 minutes (this will remove bitter compounds from the surface). Dry and toast quinoa in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook, stirring about 1 minute. Add 2c water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Without uncovering, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork and serve. 1c dry quinoa makes 3c cooked.

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pierino is a trusted source on General Cooking and Tough Love.

added 8 months ago

A couple of things here; the boxed varieties of quinoa don't need to be rinsed. If you are buying from the bulk bins it is a good idea. But a rolling boil? Absolutely no. Bring the water just to a simmer. After that you are cooking it like it's rice and it will cook up in a shorter amount of time. The germ (that little spiral thing) will show through the grain----and skip that toasting step, Completely not necessary.

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Sarah is a trusted source on General Cooking.

added 8 months ago

Yeah I agree with Pierino - You can go through all the steps that WFM customer outlines, but it starts to make the process a bit more high maintenance than it needs to be. Quinoa is hard to screw up, unlike rice, and I find the water ratios vary depending on which quinoa I use. So I chuck it in with 2:1 cold water to quinoa with a 3-finger pinch of salt, bring to a simmer and stir occasionally, adding water if need be until it's ready. If you add too much water just drain it at the end. Easy.

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a Whole Foods Market Customer added 8 months ago

The toasting may not be "necessary," but like a rice pilaf, adds a great layer of flavor. Try it sometime.

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