Place the quinoa in a fine mesh colander, then set the colander in a large bowl of cold water for about 1 minute and sake it around. Lift the colander out of the bowl and then rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 1 minute until the water runs clear.
Add the rinsed quinoa to a pot and add vegetable stock or filtered water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once it boils, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 12 -15 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the little ‘tail’ of the quinoa has sprouted out.
Once the water is absorbed, remove it from the heat. Stir once then cover again and let it steam for 15 minutes—the quinoa will continue to absorb more water and become more fluffy. Fluff with a fork.
Bake the quinoa
Preheat the oven to 375° F then transfer the quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
For slightly crunchy quinoa bake it for about 20 minutes to get a lot of the moisture out and some of the pieces crunchy. For very crunchy quinoa, bake the quinoa for about 30 minutes mixing around the quinoa every 10 minutes. (Watch the quinoa carefully toward the end of baking, it can burn easily.)
Take it out of the oven and eat it immediately or allow it to cool to room temperature then place it in a glass jar and store it in the fridge to use as a crunchy topping.
Notes
*If you are making a whole (16 oz) package of quinoa, this will be 2 1/2 cups of dry quinoa. You will need to cook this in 3 1/3 cups of broth or water. You will need to roast it in 2 or 3 batches.While cooking the quinoa
You can take the quinoa out of the oven at any point once your desired crispy level has been achieved.
Check on the toasted quinoa frequently towards the end of baking. it can burn easily.
Slightly crunchy quinoa is best served as a main part of the meal.
Very crunchy quinoa is best sprinkled on top of soups, salads, or yogurt as a crunchy topping.