Want to try quinoa

[mskelly]

I've never tried quinoa. Does anyone have a good recipe I should start with?

[ScoutTN]

I just use it as a would rice. It takes less time to cook than brown rice. I cook mine in chx stock most of the time for flavor and nutritional boost.

[Mrs Mungo]

This is yummy:

http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/crunchy-cashew-thai-quinoa-salad-with-ginger-peanut-dressing/#comment-5123

 

 

Do you have a Trader Joe's? I really love this blend, I just add a bunch of veggies and some dressing (usually just olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper):

http://www.thekitchn.com/trader-joes-pan-33688

[chefwife8]

Just an fyi make sure you rinse or soak it before you cook it otherwise has weird bitter taste. We love it here

[SoCalLynn]

I make quinoa tabblouleh. You can use any tabbouleh recipe and just substitute quinoa. It's a very light and refreshing salad. Sometimes I use it in place of barley in soups.

[kewb]

I love to toss quinoa with assorted veggies, beans, and scallions or red onion, some parsley or cilantro . Then I whisk together the juice of a lemon or a lime, a tablespoon or two of olive oil, a splash of Braggs liquid aminos (soy saice if you don't have Braggs, and a couple of cloves of garlic. Let it sit for an hour and eat up. Great warm or cold.

[Tanaqui]

You really must rinse quinoa before cooking, as it is covered with saponins. Aside from having, as said, a "weird bitter taste", they cause digestive upsets in some people.  This is actually a feature, not a bug - when quinoa without saponins was bred and offered to farmers, they rejected it after one season because it all got eaten in the field by birds and rodents!

 

You can use quinoa as you'd use any other grain* side dish. I, personally, tend to just mix it in with my rice, on a 2:1 rice:quinoa basis.

 

* Quinoa isn't really a grain. It's a pseudograin, related to beets and spinach. If you grow it yourself, you can eat the leaves as well. A wild relative, goosefoot, grows all around my neighborhood. You can eat that too. They're also related to purslane, another common edible weed.

[BrookValley.]

This is one of my favorite quinoa recipes: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad.  I skip the chilies and use chopped mango in place of the sweet corn, though. Awesome!

[pink&bluemommy]

This, definitely:  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/creamy-tex-mex-quinoa-dippers/

 

It only takes mine about 5-6 hours in the crockpot (3 quart), so beware!  So, good!  Seriously!

[sbbulliv]

I like to do summer salads with it. Greek- tomato, cucumber and feta. Italian- tomato, mozzarella and basil. Tex mex- corn, black bean, red pepper. Or finely chopped kale and cucumber. Add appropriate dressings.

[Blueridge]

I love to make it into a breakfast dish by cooking it till nice and soft and then adding coconut milk, cinnamon, berries, pecans, and agave. :) 

[medawyn]

I like mine for breakfast!

 

Triple coconut quinoa porridge is a favorite around here: http://www.sassyradish.com/2014/04/triple-coconut-quinoa-porridge/

[AlmiraGulch]

I make it all the time.  Several times a week.  And I buy it pre-rinsed, so I've never rinsed it.  No bitter taste, no stomach upset in the family.

 

I usually saute some aromatics (usually diced carrots, onions, garlic), then throw in the quinoa to toast for a couple of minutes, then add chicken broth/stock for my liquid.  Same measurements as rice (1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid).  Sometimes I throw in a splash of white wine with the toasted quinoa before I add the chicken stock.   

 

Bring it to a boil, then cover and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes.  That's it.  Everyone here loves it.  

[Laura Corin]

I've never rinsed quinoa nor seen the recommendation to rinse it.  Maybe it comes pre-rinsed in the UK.

 

I normally throw it into a winter stew, just as I might with pearl barley.

 

L

[whitestavern]

This is one of our favs

 

http://www.fitnessandfootball.com/2012/07/foodie-week-roasted-mushroom-quinoa.html

[mom31257]

This is good. 

 

http://www.justataste.com/2011/07/quinoa-with-corn-and-scallions/

[craftyerin]

We eat it as a side dish in place of rice pretty frequently, but this is our favorite quinoa specific dish: http://www.skinnymom.com/2013/08/05/quinoa-mexi-lime-salad/ 

[gaillardia]

I love to make it into a breakfast dish by cooking it till nice and soft and then adding coconut milk, cinnamon, berries, pecans, and agave. :)

 

This sounds so healthy and good tasting!

What else do you serve for breakfast? :drool5:

Edited to add:

I hardly ever rinse ours and no one complains. :hat:

 

[Liz CA]

I soak quinoa the night before I am using it in lukewarm water and an acidic medium like lemon juice or Kefir. I leave it on the counter overnight and drain and rinse before I cook it like rice. It's done very fast and you can season it any way you like.