Let’s face it – when you don’t consider yourself a great cook, trying new things in the kitchen can be more than a little intimidating.  Even we all know we should eat less pre-packaged and takeout food, many people struggle with the idea of preparing their own meals.  It only takes a couple of failed attempts before you lose your confidence.  So, despite the fact that you hear about how great foods like quinoa and kale are for you, you may have been hesitant to give them a try.

The good news is that most whole foods can be prepared in very simple ways.  If you are wondering if quinoa recipes are easy to make or if you need to be skilled in the kitchen, you will be happy to know that anyone can learn how to cook quinoa!  Cooked quinoa will last for a week in the refrigerator, so once you’ve learned to cook it you can make a big batch at the beginning of the week and have it on hand to throw together a quick meal in a matter of minutes.

Although quinoa recipes will offer a wide variety of cooking methods, there are two that are ideal for the novice cook: the boiling method and cooking quinoa in your rice cooker.  One thing you want to always remember is that quinoa is covered in saponin, a bitter substance that protects the seeds as they grow.  Some quinoa has been pre rinsed but unless the package states that no rinsing is needed, you will want to rinse the quinoa under warm water for about 4 minutes, until the water runs clear.

To cook quinoa with the boiling method, place the quinoa in a large pot and cover it with water.  Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 8 minutes.  Drain and return to the pot.  Cover and allow to sit off the heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you have a rice cooker, this is another easy way to cook quinoa.  The caveat to that is that all rice cookers are a bit different, so it can take some tweaking on your end.  Simply place the quinoa in your steamer with twice as much liquid as you have quinoa.  Cook the quinoa using the white rice setting, checking it towards the end to make sure it isn’t burning on the bottom.

You can visit this site to learn more about cooking quinoa.