The conventional method to prepare quinoa is to cook it in boiling water. Nevertheless, you can prepare it in a microwave oven quite quickly as this following approach shows. These guidelines are for a 700 watt microwave oven. You will need to adjust your cooking times to suit your equipment.
1. Measure out one cup of quinoa and two cups of water. The size of cup does not matter as long as the ratio is 2 to 1.
2. Wash the quinoa under cold water for about thirty seconds to get rid of any residue.
3. Put the quinoa and the water into a microwaveable container and cover. Put this in your microwave and cook on 100% for 3 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for one minute. Stir the mixture and then put it back into the microwave oven for a further 3 minutes on high. The quinoa needs to stand on the kitchen counter for 2 or 3 minutes to finish cooking.
Note: Sometimes using this technique the water doesn’t always fully get absorbed into the quinoa and you will need to drain it prior to serving.
Your quinoa is now prepared and ready to serve. The only difference you may detect in preparing quinoa in a microwave as opposed to cooking it using the standard method is that it expands very slightly and is a bit softer to the touch. The excellent taste of quinoa is still present and it is easily used in all your best recipes.
The simplest thing to do with quinoa is to add it as a side dish to a main meal instead of potatoes, rice or cous cous. Simply serve it on the plate instead. But the very best way to make use of cooked quinoa is in salads and stir fry meals. This is where it truly excels and shows itself to be a worthwhile addition to your kitchen larder.