Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ¾ cups water or low-sodium broth
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
1. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly under cool, running water. Drain.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the drained quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, to let the water evaporate and toast the quinoa, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the water or broth, seasoning, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
4. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. Try not to peek!
6. Uncover — You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Add the parsley, lemon juice and black pepper. Fluff again gently to ensure a thorough mix and serve.