posted
It can definitely be bland! I like to add lots of chopped garlic and onions that have been sauteed in olive oil..that really adds some good flavor (although you've got to love garlic & onions).
I don't have any specific recipes..hopefully others will be along, I'd like some ideas as well since I eat it pretty often.
-------------------- "The simple things can get you through the hardest times." Posts: 628 | From Connecticut | Registered: Sep 2010
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
1. Use it like noodles or rice
When you use it this way, you can put beef stroganoff or veal picatta over it. Or, you can use it to replace rice in stuffed peppers.
2. Use it as a side dish mixed with vegetables
I like to cook it and then add it to some spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic, plus some cumin, feta cheese and cayenne pepper.
Look on the web for quoina and bean recipes.
My favorite use of quinoa is to buy quinoa flakes and make a hot breakfast porridge with it. I ate this daily when I was treating lyme. Here is the recipe:
Dogsandcats
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 28544
posted
go to trader joes and buy it in the frozen section.
very tasty.
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Be sure to rinse it well first, in a very fine meshed strainer. The first time I tried to make it, it all fell right through the strainer and down the drain.
As for crunchy, just add a bit more water and keep in longer on the stove, covered, heat off before serving.
It cooks in just 20 minutes. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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momintexas
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posted
Thanks for all of the tips!
I looooove garlic and onions so I will definitely try that.
I like the bell pepper idea too. Thanks for the great link TF - there's a lot of recipes on there to support immune building.
Unfortunately - we don't have Trader Joe's here.
Thanks for the tip Keebler - I will be sure to add extra water and let it sit longer.
Posts: 1408 | From Tx | Registered: Nov 2009
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posted
Quinoa is a staple for me ~ i make a pot at a time, and keep it in the fridge for a few days....always on hand to add to veggies.
i roast veggies and the mix them together with the quinoa , then add sea palm (a sea vegetable that grows on the coast where i live) and gomasio (sesame seeds mixed with sea salt).
I also add it to my chicken-veggie soup.
You can add any flavors you like! As Keebler stated, if you like it softer, just add more water. It cooks very quickly and easily.
enjoy ~
Posts: 164 | From North America | Registered: Mar 2009
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OptiMisTick
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posted
There are recipes with cheese - to make it like a macaroni dish.
Here is one from my file - I would have substituted on the cheese (parmesan or cheddar) and left out the sage. Note that cooked quinoa is used, and that cooking instructions follow the recipe. ------ Quinoa Baked with Cheese
This is an easy gratin, a comforting casserole that you can serve as a main dish or a side.
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 plump garlic cloves, minced 4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked) 2 large eggs 3 ounces Gruy�re cheese, grated (3/4 cup) 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
1. Preheat the oven to 400�F. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruy�re, and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve. Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. The recipe can be made through Step 3 several hours or even a day ahead. The gratin can be assembled several hours ahead.
Background and quinoa cooking:
Quinoa (pronounced keh-NO-ah or, sometimes, KEEN-wah) is a relative newcomer to the American pantry. The tiny, ancient Peruvian seed, which has a mild, nutty flavor, is related to leafy green vegetables and is often used like a grain. Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids.
In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. It's also a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and it has a high iron content.
Quinoa is very easy to cook. It's important to rinse the seeds well, because they are naturally coated with a bitter substance that protects them against birds and other predators. Most packaged quinoa has already been cleaned, but it doesn't hurt to soak and rinse it just in case.
Quinoa cooks in 15 minutes, and it's easy to tell when it's done because the seeds display a little white thread that curls around them.
Basic Steamed Quinoa Many recipes for quinoa suggest cooking it like rice, in two parts water for one part quinoa. This works, but I find the grains are fluffier if I cook them in three parts water and drain the excess water once the quinoa is tender. The tiny seeds swell to about four times their original size, so 1 cup uncooked quinoa yields about 4 cups, enough for 6 to 8 servings.
1 cup quinoa 3 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Bring the water or stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and translucent, and each grain displays a little thread. Drain and return to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.
Yield: about 4 cups, serving 6 to 8
Advance preparation: Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a microwave or in the oven.
Posts: 1338 | From Above the Clouds | Registered: Nov 2000
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OptiMisTick
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posted
Here's another winter recipe for Quinoa. I have not tried this one. I am betting I got it from the NY Times but who knows. I just remember they had a spread on quinoa.
------
Andean Bean Stew With Winter Squash and Quinoa
This savory, filling pot of beans is inspired by a Chilean bean stew and uses quinoa instead of the corn called for in the authentic version.
Make it a day ahead for the best flavor.
1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked in 2 quarts water overnight or for 6 hours
Salt 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 bay leaf 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid 1 pound winter squash, such as butternut, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly Freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
1. Place the beans and soaking water in a large pot. Add water if necessary to cover the beans by about 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Skim off foam, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes, or until the beans are tender but intact. Add salt to taste.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick frying pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, and add the paprika. Stir together for about a minute, and add the garlic.
Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until the garlic and onions are very fragrant but not brown, and stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and scrape the contents of the pan into the pot of beans.
3. Bring the beans back to a simmer, add the bay leaf and winter squash, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the squash and beans are thoroughly tender.
Add the quinoa and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and displays an opaque thread. Taste and adjust salt. Add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Stir in the basil or parsley, simmer for a couple of minutes more, and serve, with cornbread or crusty country bread.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8 generously
Advance preparation: This tastes best if made a day ahead and reheated. The stew will thicken up, so you will probably want to thin out with water and adjust seasonings accordingly. Add the fresh herbs when you reheat. It will keep for at least five days in the refrigerator. It freezes well.
Posts: 1338 | From Above the Clouds | Registered: Nov 2000
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OptiMisTick
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posted
Quinoa (pronounced keh-NO-ah or, sometimes, KEEN-wah) is a relative newcomer to the American pantry.
One question that often crops up is about the different types of quinoa.
Most people are familiar with the standard cream coloured seed type of quinoa. This is still the most common form of quinoa that is sold in supermarkets here in the UK.
There are, however, other varieties available as red quinoa and black quinoa.
The health food chain sometimes has the red quinoa variety on sale but very rarely. The red quinoa is slightly crunchier and has a bit more of a bitter flavour. I much prefer it to the cream variety but only have it when I can get hold of it.
The other type of quinoa is black quinoa which I have yet to try. I understand from an American supplier that this type is not grown as much because it is harder to grow commercially. I have also heard that the people who grow black quinoa only sell it locally because it is so good. --------
Here in USA I have gotten Red quinoa in the health food section of our chain supermarket. I have gotten the cream colored in the grains section of the supermarket near the pilafs and rices. I have gotten both in the health food store.
Note that this is a protein, and that Lyme folks need less carbs according to some nutritionists and physicians. A protein-based dish instead of a carb-based dish could be a welcome addition to meals.
Posts: 1338 | From Above the Clouds | Registered: Nov 2000
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Andie333
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posted
If you do a search in the Times, they've been running some wonderful quinoa recipes. One I've tried and loved is quinoa cakes--mixed with greens. They can be frozen and defrosted for a quick meal.
I have also used quinoa as a cold breakfast cereal--mixing cooked quinoa with currants (or raisins), roasted crushed almonds, cinnamon, flavored yogurt (I use Greek yogurt), enough fruit juice to moisten and salt to taste.
That's really good. I also tried making this up in advance and then heating it. The results were really awful.
I also do a variation of pilaf: saute chopped celery, sliced onion and garlic in olive oil, then add fresh grated ginger, pepper, salt, and stir this mixture into cooked quinoa.
For me, rinsing quinoa is essential to remove the bitterness.
It's a terrific grain, once you're comfortable using it.
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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-------------------- "To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art" - LaRochefoucauld
Lyme neuro symptoms for 20+ years. Infected in Maryland. Diagnosed with Lyme Jan 2011. (previously diagnosed with CFS, Fibro, peripheral neuropathy) Posts: 261 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2010
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posted
I eat the red quinoa, cooked, with ghee and honey and cinnamon - like an oatmeal (I can't have gluten)
honey is supposed to be antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflamatory, and an immune stimulant
just be careful because it is sweet and may still cause yeast growth?
-------------------- Persistence, persistence, persistence!!! "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Persistence and determination are omnipotent." attributed to Calvin Coolidge Posts: 599 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2011
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