Quinoa - anyone tried it?

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  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Quinoa has more protein than rice, but as pointed out above, it's still majority carb. One of the main benefits of quinoa is that it's a complete protein - it contains a full spectrum of amino acids.

    My experience has been is that it's not great as a standalone food, but good when mixed in with beans, meat, vegetables, etc.

    Also, it's orders of magnitude more expensive than rice. The only way I can afford to buy it is in bulk at Costco.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
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    I love quinoa and eat it quite a lot. I use it like I use rice or couscous, however it does have a nutty flavor, so you may have to adjust recipes a bit if you use it.
  • Taliafinch
    Taliafinch Posts: 60 Member
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    I make a sloppy one pot vege sausage casserole and add rinsed Quinoa it absorbs the liquid and tastes great.
  • lilchefmelissa
    lilchefmelissa Posts: 21 Member
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    I cook with it all the time at work. It works really good if making a tabbouleh or when making a vegan based stuffed pepper. The possibilities are endless.
  • brdoyle8
    brdoyle8 Posts: 38 Member
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    I like quinoa as well, but I also love whole grain brown rice. Similar macros. I agree with some above, quinoa is really good cold to me, I prefer rice in hot dishes.
  • Ketolover71
    Ketolover71 Posts: 68 Member
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    Zara_Pi wrote: »
    Just come across a food called quinoa. Never heard of it before but apparently it's all protein and is a good substitute for rice.

    I love my rice and bread, so need a substitute that's not high in carbs and this seems ideal.

    Has anyone tried this?
    What recipes have you used it in?

    I find it best if you cook it in chicken broth. It adds a good flavor. Otherwise..blah.
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
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    Been eating quinoa for a good decade now. Love it, far superior to rice in all ways for me. Haven't eaten rice at all since I discovered quinoa.
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    We eat it very frequently...often using the red or black versions instead of the standard. Also use amaranth a lot too...even more nutrious.

    Primarily I use it in a pilaf. For example if I cook a Mediterranean style fish (ie with olives, capers and tomato) then I'll make add sautéed peppers and onion and herbs.

    Also make a great quinoa chowder (from moose wood cookbook). Quinoa, chili, feta and spinach/arugula. Moorish!

    We do add quinoa to our vegetarian Chili.

    Add to salads....
  • JustTrackinIt
    JustTrackinIt Posts: 26 Member
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    Its really good I buy it already prepared from the Central Market here in town sometimes. I don't know how to prepare it, but they make it in the food court and it is awesome.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Rinse it, and then when you think you've rinsed it, rinse it again.

    It's really good in minestrone.
  • AZIZAELLAZIZA
    AZIZAELLAZIZA Posts: 68 Member
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    Yes, but I don't like it. I normally eat brown rice, barley or farro when I want whole grains.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I always thought quinoa was just OK, until today. For lunch I had some sort of cold quinoa salad with cilantro, lime, and a feta-like cheese. Not sure what else was in it, but it was pretty amazing. <3
  • Zara_Pi
    Zara_Pi Posts: 141 Member
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    So I bought some today. Bought a bag that contained red, black and white quinoa.

    Here's what I did:
    I cooked the quinoa in water as per the instructions on the packet.
    Then i lightly fried half a red onion in a drop of olive oil, added some tinned red kidney beans, then added the cooked quinoa and some fresh spinach leaves.
    This was served with foil cooked spicy salmon fillet and lots of steamed veg and salad.

    And I must say I really enjoyed it.
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
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    I hate it because of the texture.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    Quinoa fine. I can take it or leave it. It is more expensive than rice but easier to prepare. I eat on occasion as an alternative to rice, pasta or potatoes.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,141 Member
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    Zara_Pi wrote: »
    So I bought some today. Bought a bag that contained red, black and white quinoa.

    Here's what I did:
    I cooked the quinoa in water as per the instructions on the packet.
    Then i lightly fried half a red onion in a drop of olive oil, added some tinned red kidney beans, then added the cooked quinoa and some fresh spinach leaves.
    This was served with foil cooked spicy salmon fillet and lots of steamed veg and salad.

    And I must say I really enjoyed it.

    I usually cook the quinoa and also brown rice, with caramelized onions too. It tastes very good indeed. I have also added sweet peas, either canned or frozen and steamed. By adding additional veggies, I reduce the amount of quinoa and therefore the calories and carbs, if needed.
    But like I posted before, I can't eat quinoa too often due to diverticulosis.

  • Natso29
    Natso29 Posts: 28 Member
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    pdxwine wrote: »
    I love quinoa and farro.

    Omg i just had farro for the first time, YUM! my husband was like what is this stuff is really good (he NEVER says that about healthy foods lol it made my weekend)
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
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    JohnnyPenso wrote: »
    Been eating quinoa for a good decade now. Love it, far superior to rice in all ways for me. Haven't eaten rice at all since I discovered quinoa.

    Agreed. I love how light and fluffy the texture is. I eat quinoa almost every day. I also love that it's so easy to prepare. I've found the cheapest place for me to buy it is at Costco.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I'm going to be that person and suggest that, if you buy quinoa, to make certain it's fair trade. It is a staple crop in the Andes (especially Bolivia) and its popularity over the past several years in North America/Europe has been disastrous for a lot of people in South America, as the price has risen sharply and a lot of the people who used to rely on quinoa as a major part of their diets can no longer afford to eat it themselves, which has had a lot of negative impact on health and well-being among the people of the Andes.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa
    http://www.stanforddaily.com/2016/05/24/potential-ethical-ramifications-of-the-quinoa-craze/
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/the-more-you-love-quinoa-the-more-you-hurt-peruvians-and-bolivians/article7409637/

    (and one to counter these pieces in the interests of fairness, which states that economically in the short-term it hasn't been as problematic as people feared but that long-term environmental issues are coming as a result)
    http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/31/472453674/your-quinoa-habit-really-did-help-perus-poor-but-theres-trouble-ahead

    I understand that there are ethical implications to nearly everything we eat and slapping a "fair trade certified" label on something isn't a guarantee that it's helping people, but it's kind of a pet issue of mine since visiting the region, so...presented for your information, anyway.

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