Quinoa: Love it, like it, hate it, never tried it?

katy84o

I love it. I prepare it all different ways. I cook it with plain water and then incorporate it into a dish. My favorite, takes some time, is a butternut squash and parmesan quinoa loaf which is totally yummy but with all the cheese probably not the healthiest. But usually I just mix it with whatever I have on hand last time it was sugar snap peas, a can of sardines, about 1-2oz of soft chevre cheese, celery, and tomato.

ErinBeth7

What does Quinoa taste like? I want to try it, but afraid to waste it if I don't care for it!

Scbeers

I love, love, LOVE quinoa!! It's very easy to prepare, I just put it in my rice cooker with double the amount of water (eg. 1 c. quinoa, 2 c. water) and then let it cook. It can be throw into just about anything that calls for rice, and I prefer the texture.

There's a fantastic recipe that my mom and I have come up with, she uses brown rice but I prefer quinoa. 1 c. cooked quinoa, as much steamed broccoli as you like (about 2 heads fresh or 1/2 bag frozen works well), 2 cans black beans and the following sauce: 2 t. whole dijon mustard (w/the whole seeds), 1 t. regular dijon mustard, 3 t. soy or liquid aminos, and add hot sauce if you like things spicy. Mix together, pour over remaining ingredients and stir together. I usually end up adding a couple of tablespoons of water after mixing as well.

Great summer salad - 2 c. cooked quinoa, about half a purple or sweet onion diced, fresh blueberries, feta cheese crumbled, fresh spinach chopped (amount to your preference) and sauce: juice of 2 fresh lemons, or 2 T. bottled lemon juice, couple shakes of pepper and just enough olive oil to emulsify together. Pour over salad, mix and enjoy!! This is my staple food in the summertime.

I'm a vegetarian and quinoa is a complete protein in itself, so I try to eat a lot of it to make sure I'm getting enough.

lungti29

Love it! Now quinoa purists may argue, but Trader Joe's makes a frozen quinoa with vegetable melange that is really really good. It takes only a few minutes to heat up on the stove and is delicious and filling!

amybg1

Like it though we don't eat it very often, cook it just like rice and add veggies and sometimes meat to it

TinnedTuna

Need to try some,
will get it tomorrow and have it in stead of the rice with my chili, see how it goes but i will try some of these recipes as they sound delish.

stfuriada

Do not like. Weird texture.

ddardeen

Just tried it for the first time a few days ago. Bought mine already prepared frozen from Trader Joe's. I love it! It's a nice change in texture from brown rice.

KiKi429

love it!!! especially with chilli

jgic2009

I like this recipe, with black beans and corn: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=quinoa black beans&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe Search Results

Nelski

Love it.
Sometimes I eat it the way I would rice, maybe with a little butter & seasoning, sometimes mixed with veggies. I just tried this recipe and LOVE it( I made it without pepperoni).
http://www.soveryblessed.com/2012/02/quinoa-pizza-bites.html?m=1

reyna99

Been wondering...thanks for the post!
going to have to try it!

Dankelzaga

Really like it...one of those darn near perfect foods imo. I typically use it just like rice. There are also some really good "meatloaf" type recipes on the web if you do a search which uses it.

One thing being that it is kind of expensive. I find myself almost always making way too much of it. When you go to cook it..doesn't seem like that much, but after cooking there is always tons. Just keep this in mind.

AdaBee

I've never tried it but I hear it's very healthy and a good alternative to rice. I was told to try serving a stir-fry recipe over quinoa instead of rice so I'm going to try that! It sounds from the other answers that it's good, too!

melinda200208

I tried it for the first time yesterday and LOVE it! I got the recipe off the internet. I did use a package that already had some seasonings in it. I put a teaspon of vegetable oil in a pan and fried up onion and fresh garlic. I added 3/4 can of chicken broth, cumin seasoning, ceyenne seasoning, a cup of frozen corn, 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, and two cans of black beans. It had a little bite to it. I am having this all week for lunch. You could also put it in a wrap.....or on a salad...I thought it was VERY tasty and am going to look for more recipes with quiona.

TGKvr

I've never tried it, but bought some the other day that I haven't gotten around to cooking. I don't have high hopes for it though... is the texture anything like couscous? Because I kind of hate that.

Ribena145

bump for sure

much2gain

THE BEST recipe I have found for Quinoa.. but really, it's great just cooked like you would rice and used in the same way.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/tabasco-asparagus-quinoa-recipe.html

Trader Joes also had a contest for Quinoa recipes. Google it.

much2gain

oh... and you can use FAR LESS butter than called for.

4leggedmom

Love it! I eat it in replace of white rice.

I made a Chicken Fried Quinoa (Rice) and Quinoa with chopped grilled veggies

Quinoa is so versatile. You can do a lot with it.

sweetnlow30

It is on my list of must try items. I need to get to the bulk food store to buy a small amount because it is $12 for a little bag at the grocery store. That is too rich for me

mfpcopine

It's good when cooked in chicken broth. Nutty and chewy.

Najah5150

I actually LOVE it now. I was nervous when I first tried it. my fiance' actually likes it too. I found recipes online...I've made Quinoa Pilaf...it was the BOMB! My kids loved it when I made that recipe. I've made it for breaksfast also...it's pretty good with cinnamon, brown sugar and slivered almonds. ooohhh la la, I need to go pick me up some when I get home.

erinw1011

Maybe I got bad Quinoa? I cooked it in chicken broth like a friend told me to do and I made a pilaf like the package said. When I put it into my mouth it tasted good but had a horrible after taste! I can't get myself to try it again.

dawnrenee567

I only buy the pre-rinsed kind (if you don't you have to rinse it first, or that horrible taste occurs).

I make a batch and portion it out (it keeps well in the fridge)

Add it to cooked veggies (I toast it for a bit in the pan with them) and very filling.

dlyeates

Love it. 1 C quinoa, 2 C water in my rice cooker and turn on. Season with salt, pepper, whatever. I make it instead of rice or potatoes.

Last night my son took my hubby's plate and was eating the quinoa off of it like a dog. He thought he was funny....I'm just glad he likes quinoa!!!

Woly

My grandma makes a salad with quinoa, avocado, tomato, lime, olive oil, and parsley that is to die for. So healthy too!

tashjs21

I Quinoa!

I cook mine in low sodium chicken or beef broth. I have seen a recipe for breakfast quinoa that I want to try (in place of Oatmeal)

I have also added it to my salads. *yum!*

I like to mix the red and white together when I cook it.

ccburn5

LOVE IT! Go to Whole Foods, they have a few different varieties of it.

mcarter99

My grandma makes a salad with quinoa, avocado, tomato, lime, olive oil, and parsley that is to die for. So healthy too!

Yum, that sounds great.

Costco has it lately. A huge bag for $10ish? It's a LOT. You can buy it in the bulk bins at stores like Sprouts, too. That's a good way to try it, if you're not sure if you'll like it. The calories are high-ish like most grains but it's so good for you and filling.