While quinoa only takes 20 minutes to cook, brown rice can take up to an hour. Working full-time, who has time for that? That's why I love to cook up a batch of whole grains on Sunday. Lately I've been mixing one cup of arborio rice with half a cup of rainbow quinoa because my kids aren't fans of quinoa's texture, and this combo makes it taste like rice. It also looks pretty! I add the one and a half cups of grains, three cups of water, and a sprinkle of sea salt to a covered pot on high heat. After it comes to a boil, lower to simmer, set a timer for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat, wait 10 minutes, fluff with a fork, and it's ready!
I use cooked grains like rice, millet, barley, and quinoa in salads, Buddha bowls, with beans, in burritos, and added to soups. I also like to cook steel-cut oats to have in the mornings. I'll either keep a small batch in the fridge to scoop from or I freeze oatmeal in muffin tins.