1 tablespoon butter or olive oil, plus more for eating
1cup any jarred or cooked salsa
1/2cup water
Salt and pepper (if you like)
Chopped fresh cilantro (if you like)
Instructions
Put the quinoa in a mesh strainer (also called a sieve) and run cold tap water over it. As you rinse the kernels, stir with your hands or a big spoon until everything is wet. Shake off the extra water and let the quinoa sit over a bowl until you need it.
Put the butter or oil in a 2-quart pot that has a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat to medium. When the butter melts or the oil gets hot and shimmers, add the quinoa and stir so it all looks shiny. Adjust the heat so you can hear and see the kernels sizzle. Keep stirring until they smell like toast, about 1 minute.
Add the salsa and water and stir until combined. Raise the heat a little so the mixture bubbles gently without splattering all over. Cover the pot and let it cook without stirring. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
Carefully open the lid and tip the pot to see if there is still liquid in it. Taste a little quinoa to see if it’s soft. When it’s ready, the grains will look puffier than when you started and there will be little rings around each kernel. To keep cooking, add a tablespoon or 2 of water if the pot is dry and check again in 5 minutes.
When the quinoa is ready, add salt and pepper too if you like and some more butter or oil. Add some chopped cilantro too if you like. Fluff with a fork and eat hot or warm. The leftovers are good cold or reheated in the microwave and will keep in the fridge for 1 week.