How to cook perfect quinoa - TUTORIAL

Quinoa is a true super food.

But what is the best way to cook it? I'll show you how in my easy-to-follow tutorial: How to cook perfect quinoa.

Quinoa is a bit of an obsession of mine. Yes, we've all heard that it's healthy and all that, and I'd tried it before and hadn't been that keen to be honest. It was stodgy, bitter and not all-too pleasant.

Quinoa is a seed, so it's perfect for people who find gluten a problem - because it doesn't contain any. It's also very high in protein and has a low GI.

Now I don't like to punish myself all in the name of a super food. I'm not going to eat something that isn't truly delicious just because it's good for me.

But I'm tenacious. So I kept on trying...and trying. And I've found my perfect way to cook quinoa. And it's easy!

Here's what you need to do...

I use a mix of white quinoa, red quinoa and bulgar wheat. I have found this combination is a good one. I buy the mix from Waitrose, but you could easily make you own.

I always try to soak my quinoa for at least two hours. I think this is the key to stopping it taste bitter. If I'm making something in the slow cooker, I'll start soaking the quinoa then.

I feed five of us (two adults and three children) with one cup of the quinoa mix. This works out to be around 200g dry weight.

1. Measure the quinoa (1 cup - 200g) into a non-metallic sieve. 

2. I wash the mix quite a few times in the sieve, then place the sieve over a bowl of water, cover and soak for at least two hours. Leaving it in the sieve just makes life a little easier.

3. Once you're ready to cook, rinse your quinoa again a few times until the water runs clear. You will also notice that the seeds and grains have plumped up a bit.

4. Put the quinoa in a pan and just cover with boiling water. Add some salt to season and put a lid on the pan. Bring to the boil and turn the heat down to the lowest flame. 

5. Cook for 20 minutes.

6. After the time has finished, drain any remaining water and put the cooked quinoa back in the pan. Cover and leave to cook on the lowest flame for five more minutes.

7. When the time is up, transfer the quinoa to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.

8.After aprox 10 minutes. Add some pepper and a large squeeze of lemon juice. Fluff up with a fork and serve.