quinoa recipes

[surgtech1956]

I haven't tried Quinoa but looking for some different recipes. Does anyone have any quinoa breakfast recipes? Can quinoa be added to other foods? Thank you

[Blueberry]

We eat quinoa a lot. I can be cooked and used in most recipes in lieu of rice and sometimes pasta. I usually saute some garlic in olive oil, "toast" the quinoa a bit, and then cook it in chicken stock. I have served it with tomato sauce and a fried egg, with an eggplant tomato sauce, as a cold salad with dried cranberries, feta and a light citrus vinaigrette. Very easy. There's a good looking recipe in this month's Endurance Magazine (here (http://www.endurancemag.com/index.php/issues).

I've not tried it for breakfast, but a google search of "quinoa breakfast" turned up some good looking recipes.

[linzq]

We eat a ton of quinoa (I'm a vegetarian, and it's a higher-protein grain than most). I like to cook up a plain batch and then keep it around for lots of different preparations: toss a handful into salad, make a porridge (with cinnamon, almond milk, fruit & nuts), or use it in place of any other grain.

My favourite quinoa salad is a version of tabouli (here's the recipe (http://kitchenoperas.com/2010/05/18/wheatberry-salad/)) -- it uses tons of lemon and is so delicious!

I also have made them into veggie burger patties (http://kitchenoperas.com/2010/01/22/gluten-free-quinoa-veggie-burgers/) -- YUM, especially in a pita.

[surgtech1956]

Thanks for the recipe ideas. Im going to pick some up tomorrow

[Aldrich]

Hi linzq,
Thanks for sharing wheatberry salad recipe with everyone. I have checked the links and found chickpeas out of stock so will try wheatberry salad later.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Love quinoa. A favorite dinner recipe is to cook the quinoa in some chicken broth with lemon pepper seasoning. Then toss in chunks of chicken breasts and green peas with even more lemon pepper seasoning to satisfy my need for a good pepper burn. :D There's a quinoa salad recipe floating about my google reader somewhere. I think it has black beans, quinoa, diced jalapeno peppers, cilantro, a red pepper, lemon juice, salt and olive oil involved in it.

Another thing I used to do with it was to cook it into a porridge then blitz 1/4 cup of the porridge with a frozen banana and 4 or 5 whole strawberries. And maybe a squirt of chocolate syrup. I'm not admitting to anything. ;) It makes a fantastic breakfast smoothie.

[Reesha]

Quinoa biryani!

I love Indian food. I love quinoa.

http://www.forumpakistan.com/tasty-quinoa-biryani-t59953.html

tada!

[Gypsy]

For breakfast -- cook quinoa like oatmeal!

Quinoa cooks in the same proportions (1/2 cup quinoa, 1 cup of water); add cranberries, violá, you have breakfast cereal.

You can also make it savory-ish (since cranberries are sweet) by letting is cool off, adding parlsey, even a splash of lemon, and now you have quinoa salad.

[Susan Otcenas]

This month's Food & Wine magazine has a great quinoa recipe in it. I made it last night. It's a quinoa lentil pilaf that also features cauliflower. Very tasty!

[limewave]

For breakfast -- cook quinoa like oatmeal!

Quinoa cooks in the same proportions (1/2 cup quinoa, 1 cup of water); add cranberries, violá, you have breakfast cereal.


Yup^
I really like my oatmeal so I've had a hard time replacing it completely. I do about 2/3 oatmeal with 1/3 quinoa. Add a diced apple or raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon and you're done.

I recently had a Sweet Potato Quinoa burger at a restaurant. It was awesome. Here is a link to the recipe (http://livlovelaugh.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/sweet-potato-quinoa-burgers/).

[sookiesue]

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/quinoa-with-currants-dill-and-zucchini-recipe.html

I had my doubts about the currants and dill combination, but this was amazing. Don't skimp on the sesame seeds. It seems like a ton, but it makes the quinoa taste amazing. I had raw ones so I toasted them in a skillet until they started popping, then cooled them before adding to the recipe. I didn't have lemon zest so I used lime, and it was great. The feta was a nice addition at the end.

[surgtech1956]

Can I just use it like rice? It has to be washed/rinsed first?

[WindingRoad]

Just thought I'd add this as I just made a great dinner with quinoa. I made quinoa with curry powder, dried onions, 3 tbls of minced garlic, about 1/4th cup of fresh chopped onions, some sea salt and a half cup or so of leftover chickpeas. Just cooked that all together. Then I cooked some spinach and shrimp together in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Topped it all off with a little grated Parmesan and it was delicious.

[Crankin]

I buy pre washed quinoa. It cooks up fine in 15 minutes.

[WindingRoad]

That must be what I have because it didn't take long to cook. I don't have the bag anymore but it's the Ancient Grains one I bought at Costco.

[ny biker]

Where in the grocery store does one find quinoa?

(I need to lose a few pounds, well okay more than a few, and my efforts are leaving my hungry and dizzy, so I'm looking for ways to boost protein intake. Thinking it's time to try quinoa, among other changes.)

Thanks!

[ridenread]

I find it in the same aisle as rice

[Eden]

It's often in with the other grains - where you'd find rice and barley and it is usually available in bulk if your store has a good bulk foods section. Stores that have a separate "natural foods" area may put it there. Stores with a limited selection may not carry it at all though.

While I'm here… a great quinoa recipe

base recipe
1bunch of kale, ribs removed, finely julienned
1 large clove of raw garlic chopped or crushed
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup of raw quinoa cooked
1 can of chickpeas (or other beans as you wish)
lemon or lime juice

to make the base salad - put the julienned kale, olive oil and salt to your tastes and the garlic in a big bowl - with your hands rub and squeeze the kale until it is all quite bruised and soft and the garlic is crushed. This is messy, but vital to the texture of the final dish. Stir in the quinoa, beans, black pepper and juice. It's OK if the quinoa is a little warm, though this is meant to be a room temperature dish.

Additions - dress it up!

Mediterranean style additions
green or red onion chopped finely
feta cheese
sautéd zucchini
tomatoes
tzatziki style sauce (I make it with yogurt, cucumber, cumin & garlic sort of part tzatziki, part riata)

Mexican style additions (try it with black beans)
corn
finely chopped green chili
red or green onion
pumpkin seeds
queso fresca (or feta, which it is not too unlike, though usually a little less salty)

make up your own….

[Crankin]

All of the normal stores I go to have quinoa; several brands and types (red, brown, mixed). It's near the rice, faro, cous cous, etc.

[ny biker]

Okay I did find it with the rice. It doesn't have as much protein as I'd hoped, about the same as oatmeal if I read the labels right (though admittedly the number were pretty fuzzy since I didn't have my reading glasses with me.) But then again oatmeal doesn't go with everything.

I saw "white" and "rainbow." I wasn't expecting to have to choose a color -- is it all basically the same or are there big differences in flavor, texture, whatever?

Thanks!

[VeganBikeChick]

Flavor and texture are the same, I find.

[Crankin]

I find it the same, too. Quinoa is not a complete protein, like beans or meat, but it is definitely more filling and has more protein than say, brown rice.
I am getting ready to go out, but tomorrow I will have time to send you a quinoa recipe or two.

[Eden]

Thats incorrect - quinoa is in fact a complete protein, however beans are not, but so long as you eat a good mixture of foods you'll easily get all of the amino acids you need, so that need not be the most important factor you consider in choosing one food over another. Quinoa has 8 grams of protein per cup, which isn't as protein dense as meat or soy products, but it is a little more than beans and rice.

[OakLeaf]

Whatever you buy, check the label to see if it's been rinsed or not. As harvested, quinoa has a very bitter coating that takes several rinses to remove. Some brands are pre-rinsed. Can't hurt to rinse it in any case, I suppose, and taste a little of the rinse water to be sure.

I find the flavor a little too sweet for most grain-type dishes and soups, but I like it in salads.

[rebeccaC]

Quinoa is a nutritious addition to any meal!!! A lot of packaged quinoa actually goes through an abrasion process to get rid of the saponin layer…that also takes some of the bran layer. I buy bulk and soak/rinse myself for an aerated more fluffy taste. I don’t rinse when I want a nuttier, earthier flavor and want it to be firmer when toasting it. I haven’t had a bitter taste come from not rinsing the bulk that whole foods sell.

My diet plan

I want to lose ten pounds
only fifteen to go

Diet day 1
I have removed all of the bad food in the house.
It was delicious……..
end

[Eden]

My diet plan

I want to lose ten pounds
only fifteen to go

Diet day 1
I have removed all of the bad food in the house.
It was delicious……..
end

lol - that gave me a good chuckle.. I've never rinsed my quinoa. I haven't the faintest idea of whether or not it has come pre rinsed or not, though I do mostly buy it from the bulk foods area. I don't find it to be bitter, so I've always assumed it was already washed, but I may just not know better :p

[OakLeaf]

I've always assumed it was already washed, but I may just not know better :p

You'd know. It would be so bitter as to be inedible. Way, way beyond things that are a matter of taste like bitter melon (which I love!) or bitter greens.

It's been a while since I've bought any, honestly. I don't fix a lot of salads at home, as I said I don't care for the flavor of quinoa in pilafs, mock risotti or soups, so mostly when I have quinoa it's in salads at restaurants. Eden brand used to be un-rinsed, though.

[Crankin]

Eden, I knew I was using the incorrect language... I just didn't know how to say what I wanted to say, which is that quinoa does not have an many grams of protein as other proteins. But, it's still more protein than other grains. I do stand corrected, thank you.
Yeah, I buy washed quinoa. I have made the kind that's unwashed, and it's a pain. Those little grains get everywhere in the process! THe unwashed is SUPER bitter if you don't wash it.

[ny biker]

The package I looked at yesterday didn't say anything about rinsed or not, but as mentioned I didn't have my reading glasses so I might have missed it. The cooking directions didn't mention that it should be rinsed first.

(I was in Whole Foods -- I had walked there from my office to get lunch. I always just put my phone and wallet in my pockets and leave my purse in the office, but I guess I've reached the point where I have to bring the darn reading glasses too. I already had to get one of those chains so I can wear them around my neck, like the gray-haired stern librarian lady at our public library when I was little. :rolleyes:)

The next time I'm in a grocery store I'll have my glasses so I can read the whole label before I buy.

Thanks!

[ny biker]

My diet plan

I want to lose ten pounds
only fifteen to go

Diet day 1
I have removed all of the bad food in the house.
It was delicious……..
end

Yup, that's me! Darn Christmas cookies. ..

[IBrakeforPastry]

Thanks for finding this thread. I like quinoa and have had it in salads and a breakfast cereal in restaurants. When I made it at home, I got a bad stomach cramp (for lack of a better medical description) for about 45 minutes. I didn't get sick, the pain just went away. So of course I tried it again a few days later, with the same results :o Does this mean it needs to be rinsed better? I bought it in the bulk section of the health food store and so there was no label.

[Crankin]

It might have to do with that. The only way you can find out is to either rinse what you have, or buy a pre-rinsed brand.

[IBrakeforPastry]

I was hesitant to try again, but I know I've had it successfully. I wonder if the preparation method has anything to do with it? I've seen recipes that start off in a skillet, toasting the grains until they "pop", or just boiled like rice. Back to Google...

[rebeccaC]

Thanks for finding this thread. I like quinoa and have had it in salads and a breakfast cereal in restaurants. When I made it at home, I got a bad stomach cramp (for lack of a better medical description) for about 45 minutes. I didn't get sick, the pain just went away. So of course I tried it again a few days later, with the same results :o Does this mean it needs to be rinsed better? I bought it in the bulk section of the health food store and so there was no label.

Even though saponin is an edible phytonutrient the coating on quinoa seeds can cause irritations in some people depending on how much saponin there is and/or their bodies lack of enough saponin specific enzymes. Rinse yours under warm or hot water, heat helps dissolve saponin. If you see foam or milky water then keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Then tell the store you bought it from that their quinoa has a lot of saponin still on it and that should be told to customers. The whole foods here guarantees the levels of purity from saponin in there quinoa.

[IBrakeforPastry]

Interesting! I will go rinse some under warm or hot water. I think I did rinse it last time, but it was probably cold water.

[kmehrzad]

I rinse my quinoa in a large mesh strainer so I don't lose much of the grain and I can easily turn it over into the pan. This works for me.

[OakLeaf]

Yep, same here (also rinse rice, lentils and small beans in a strainer). If it needs very thorough rinsing, like unrinsed quinoa or oily yellow dal, I might put it in a bowl of water, swirl it around and strain, and repeat until the water is clear in the bowl.

[ny biker]

Is there such a thing as inexpensive quinoa? So far I'm only finding $9-a-bag stuff. Most of it needs to be rinsed.

I am very lazy when it comes to food, am not a good cook at all, so would be more likely to prepare it if I can find it pre-rinsed.

[Blueberry]

Is there such a thing as inexpensive quinoa? So far I'm only finding $9-a-bag stuff. Most of it needs to be rinsed.


Costco. Stil $9-10 a bag, but it's a much bigger bag.

Trader Joe's is also a little less pricey, if you don't have a Costco membership.

[IBrakeforPastry]

So I finally got around to rinsing 1/2 cup of the quinoa that had worked its way to the back of the refrigerator. I kept a glass under the strainer to check the clarity of the water and ended up dumping it about 4 or 5 times before the water ran reasonably clear. Would soaking be more efficient? I just felt as if I was wasting a lot of water.

[GranvilleEsteve]

No, I don't have the recipe.