Uses for Quinoa

[WindingRoad]

So I am starting to use quinoa in some recipes, the first is in the oven as I type. I sounds like a very healthy, filling alternative to always using meat in things? For my first attempt I am making stuffed peppers with lean turkey mixed in with the quinoa. I added lots of veggies in the mix and I hope it turns out well? We will see in about 15 more minutes. Anyone else using quinoa in recipes? If so, do tell. :D

[pll]

Epicurious has some recipes. You can use it as a substitute for rice or couscous... I like to cook it in freshly made chicken stock and, for an easy meal for lunch during the week, I mix it with sautéed veggies. My favorite combination: asparagus, zucchini, red bell pepper, mushrooms...

[Owlie]

I've never cooked with it, but I've often seen it used like couscous.

[WindingRoad]

So they turned out wonderful! Pretty good for my first attempt. The quinoa has a great flavor and texture. :)

[OakLeaf]

It's not one of my favorites, but it's good in lentil soup and in kidney bean salad.

[Susan]

We like Quinoa very much and use it similar to rice.

For instance:

* Cook a small teacup Quinoa (in 2 teacups of water with a little salt. If you like it, you can add Curry or Curcuma.). Roast chicken or turkey in a pan, and use the same pan for steaming some vegetables (I like babycarrots and zucchini), add some herbs if you like and mix the cooked Quinoa into the vegetables.
Thats my last Minute recipe it's really quick ;)

* Cook some Quinoa.
Take small zucchinis, cut them in halves (lengthwise). Take some of the zucchini-flesh (?! how do you call that) out with a spoon so you can "stuff" them.
Roast an onion and some mushrooms with the zucchini-flesh that you scraped out of the zucchinis before, season with salt/pepper/garlic and mix it with the cooked Quinoa. (You can also add olives and/or feta cheese if you like it.)
Fill this mixture into your zucchini-halves.
You need some tomato sauce (I take a can of tomatoes, add 3 dried tomatoes and blend it).
Put the tomato sauce and the zucchini-halves into a casserole (you can add some grated cheese on top) and bake for about 40 minutes (it's ready when the zucchinis are soft boiled).

[Catrin]

You can use it like rice, it is quite great and a complete protein. The trick is to WASH it. And Wash it. And wash it some more. Did I say wash it? It comes with a soapy-like exterior that can become bitter if it is not removed - so wash it some more :)

This really is a great grain - I think that some don't care for it because it wasn't washed enough and it was bitter. I understand that soap-like exterior fends off insects in the wild - I can see why :)

I've used it like a pilaf and in assorted ethnic dishes. It may be the only grain that is a complete protein, though there may be others I've not run across.

[bmccasland]

You can use it like rice, it is quite great and a complete protein. The trick is to WASH it. And Wash it. And wash it some more. Did I say wash it? It comes with a soapy-like exterior that can become bitter if it is not removed - so wash it some more :)

This really is a great grain - I think that some don't care for it because it wasn't washed enough and it was bitter. I understand that soap-like exterior fends off insects in the wild - I can see why :)

That was my first experience. YUCK! No one told me to wash it. Catrin isn't kidding. Someone told me, "but first you have to wash it, lots, several rinses of water, then cook it." The package ought to come with a warning label - wash me, stupid.

[OakLeaf]

Some of the packages do tell you to wash it.

Then there are other brands that are pre-washed but don't say so. :rolleyes:

I wash mine plenty, it's the sweetness that puts me off.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Add it cooked to any dish made with ground meat - sheperd's pie, meatballs, hamburgers, meatloaf. But a little tends to go a very long way with quinoa. I don't particularly like its taste when not hidden in ground meat. Stir fried like fried rice is also pretty good.

[nscrbug]

I love quinoa...although it is relatively new to my diet. I have basically only eaten it "plain"...but cooked in fat-free chicken broth, with maybe a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on it. I have yet to try it in a recipe. I hadn't thought about it, but when Oakleaf mentioned the "sweetness" of it...she was right, it does have a somewhat odd sweetness to it.

[Susan]

Hmm I don't think the Quinoa I use is sweet in any way, it's very similar to other grains like rice or Bulgur. Also mine is pre-washed (fortunately - as I never read such things as "wash before use" :rolleyes:) Maybe it's a matter of brand?
Or maybe it's a matter of taste, sometimes two people don't taste the same things when eating the same :)

[Catrin]

Hmm I don't think the Quinoa I use is sweet in any way, it's very similar to other grains like rice or Bulgur. Also mine is pre-washed (fortunately - as I never read such things as "wash before use" :rolleyes:) Maybe it's a matter of brand?
Or maybe it's a matter of taste, sometimes two people don't taste the same things when eating the same :)

Oh no, there would be no doubt in your mind :) As an experiment you might want to rinse it once and see if the water seems a little, well, sudsy :) It may be that some companies do pre-rinse it. I buy it in bulk rather than from a regular store.

[badger]

I've made really nice a quinoa salad with a whole whack of stuff in it like celery, apple, carrots, grapes, nuts, dried cranberries, and topped it off with just a simple dressing of apple cider vinegar, touch of sugar, and oil.

But I got turned off when I realized that the two times I got sick, I had also eaten quinoa so now i'm very reluctant to do anything with them. It could be it was a bad batch, but you know how it is when you get sick after eating something.

[Crankin]

I have tried to make it several times... the pre-rinsed version that specifically says you do not have to wash it. It tasted horrible and the consistency was gross, too, like it never got cooked. Yet, I have had it at friend's houses and restaurants and I really liked it. Are you saying I have to wash even the pre-rinsed kind?

[OakLeaf]

No, you shouldn't have to rinse the pre-washed kind. If you have any doubt, just pop one seed into your mouth, you'd taste the alkaloids right away if they're there.

The consistency is kind of crunchy, I don't know, almost like raw sprouts I guess. I kind of like the mouth feel, actually.

[Catrin]

No, you shouldn't have to rinse the pre-washed kind. If you have any doubt, just pop one seed into your mouth, you'd taste the alkaloids right away if they're there.

The consistency is kind of crunchy, I don't know, almost like raw sprouts I guess. I kind of like the mouth feel, actually.

I like the little 'halos' they have and I agree the mouth feel is kind of nice :) hmmm, I haven't cooked any for some time. I have a lovely Paela recipe that I use it in...I wonder where it is? May just have to dig it out!

[sgtiger]

I make it like risotto but without the fussy stage of ladling in hot broth every 15 minutes.

-Dice whatever veggies I have on hand - onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, etc. It's great for using up the leftover little bits of veggies from previous meals.

-Saute the veggies in a teaspoon or so of EVOO in a 2 quart sauce pan. Just until fragrant, maybe just starting to show some color.

-Add well drained quinoa, if it needs to be rinsed, and saute that in with the veggies for another couple of minutes. If all the EVOO was absorbed by the veggies, then I add a bit more to the pot with the quinoa. If using curry powder, commercially availlable curry paste, or Thai chili garlic sauce add that in at the end and saute for half a minute.

-When the quinoa has a bit of color and nutty aroma, then add liquid - water, chicken broth, veggie broth, shrimp broth(shimp shells boiled in clam juice), or liquid from re-hydrating dried mushrooms. The liquid should be about 2 cm above the level of the quinoa. I eyeball it.

-Let it come to a boil. As soon as it does, reduce heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Re-hydrated mushroom, such as porcini or shitake, get added at this stage if I'm using them.

-Remove it from the stove and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes.

-S&P added just before serving if they're being used.

If I'm adding fresh mushrooms, I saute that seperately and add them into the pot just after it comes off the heat and mix them in before resting. You can saute them with the quinoa if you want, but I don't like my mushrooms mushy. Diced sun-dried tomatoes, the ones from the jar packed in olive oil, get added in just off the heat too. As does pan drippings if I'm serving it with meat and not using it for something else. Just add some water, broth, or wine to the pan that the meat was removed from and deglaze. Oh, dried herbs get added sometime in the simmering stage and fresh herbs either get added when it comes off the stove or just before serving, depending on the herb.

Depending on the combination vegetables, spices, and herbs used, it can have just about any ethnic flavor. Leftovers get added to a green salad cold the next day for lunch and tossed with some balsamic/port vinegar or lemon/lime juice. Maybe add a tiny dizzle of EVOO and freshly cracked black pepper.