Herbed Quinoa

Using chicken stock, preferrably homemade, in place of water adds all kinds of flavor to an otherwise boring side dish. Add a tiny bit of butter and fresh herbs and it's even better. This same method can be used to cook all grains. Consider even mixing several kinds of grains for varying textures and nutritional profiles.
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 scallions
fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa in a fine meshed strainer. This is a very important step, as quinoa has a natual bitter coating which needs to be rinsed off. Most boxed varieties are pre-rinsed, but it doesn't hurt to rinse it again. Heat grapeseed oil in a 2 quart stockpot over medium. Add the quinoa and toast lightly until you can begin to smell a nutty flavor. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. You can visually tell when the quinoa is finished, because the germ will separate from the seed and appear circular with a dot in the middle. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered for 3-5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the butter, scallions, parsley, salt and pepper.