Is Quinoa worth it? And how do I make it tasty?!

Susan2BHealthier

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madeleinedun11

I did it! I had it for dinner at last and it was delicious! I'm going to try a risotto with it tomorrow - but the scampi sounds incredible idea too - how do you cook that in a way that keeps it low fat?

I did roasted aubergine, peppers, garlic, parsnip and red onion chopped roughly and tossed it in 3tsp of olive oil, chopped mint and basil and roasted in the oven for 30 minutes

Meanwhile I washed my quinoa (as instructed on here) then cooked in a pan 1 part quinoa, 5 parts water and a chicken stock cube. When it was ready I drained it and put it in the dish I had been roasting the vegetables in and mixed it through.

Lots of salt and pepper - and nom nom nom!

Seriously delicious!

Thanks to everyone's suggestions - I'm going to try the risotto tomorrow and then a salad for working lunches! xxx

bethany1213

Quinoa is great if you cook it like rice, but instead of using all water, use half water and half chicken stock. Once cooked, add some vodka sauce and sauted peppers and onions and its amazing!

mogriff1

Here is a recipe for quinoa that I absolutely love. In fact, I'm making it this weekend. I usually eat this on "Meatless Monday's". I found this recipe on www.cookingquinoa.net.

Quinoa Patties

2 ½ C. cooked quinoa
4 large eggs, beaten
½ tsp. salt
2/3 C. fresh chives, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
1/3 C. parmesan cheese
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 C. whole wheat bread crumbs
1 T. olive oil

1. In a medium bowl, combine quinoa, eggs and salt. Stir in garlic, chives, onion, cheese and cayenne pepper. Add breadcrumbs and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.
2. Form into patties 1 inch thick. The mixture should be very moist. You may need to add water or extra breadcrumbs to moisten or make the mixture dryer.
3. Place a large skillet over medium low heat. Heat olive oil. Add as many patties as your skillet can handle, being careful not to overload it so that you have trouble flipping the patties.
4. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 7 more minutes on the other side. Patties should be lightly browned.
5. Allow to cool on a wire rack, keeping your spatula handy to fend off family members who try to steal them. 

Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 patties
Cook time: 18 minutes Calories per serving: 237
Total time: 33 minutes

oh, wow! I'm going to try this! Looks very tasty!

peles_fire

Quinoa is good stuff - no two ways about it. I like it best prepared simply. We grill a lot and I always grill tons of extra veggies (Mushrooms, peppers, onions, squash, etc.) and then I take the cold leftover veggies, dice them up, mix them in with some prepared quinoa, and add a dash of italian or other dressing - instant cold salad that is delish, uses up leftovers, and has very little of the bad stuff while having a ton of the good! Yummy!

rahrahrita

plain cooked quinoa, extra lean ground turkey, an egg and whatever else you'd like to add, and stuff some bell peppers!

wolfi622

Just finished the last of a batch of Quinoa with pine nuts, onions, garlic and butter. Yum!!!! Saute' everything but the Quinoa, cook the Quinoa in a rice cooker as mentioned above, mix it all up and it's great. A great GI too!!!

jennlove79

I used half v8 juice and half vegetable broth to cook my quinoa today. Added some chopped stewed tomatoes and minced garlic. Garnished with a little Parmesan cheese

thrld

Quinoa Salad.

1 cup Quinoa
1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
3 Tbsps Olive Oil
2 Green (spring) Onions (sliced thin)
1 Cup drained and rinsed black beans (scant)
1 Cup drained and rinsed chick peas (scant)
1 – 2 jalapeno peppers (diced super-fine)
Lemon (for juice)
Feta Cheese

Cook the quinoa. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix quinoa with the vinegar, olive oil, green onions, black beans, chick peas, jalapeno peppers and a big squeeze of lemon juice. Add some cracked pepper, and a pinch of salt -- top with feta cheese. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

While you can eat this same day, refrigerating overnight really brings out the flavors.

You are supposed to cook the quinoa - so that's 1 cup uncooked, then cook it and then mix the salad.

graelwyn

I could eat quinoa for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For breakfast, I sometimes eat it like oatmeal - warm, with a handful of berries, some milk and perhaps a drizzle of maple syrup
For lunch, I often make a quinoa salad for the week. It's fairly random what goes in. This week's was black beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions with a lime, chili, dressing (small amount of olive oil).
For dinner, I often eat it plain as a side dish instead of rice or couscous.

Normally, to cook it, I follow the directions on the package. I find that each brand is a bit different in the way that they suggest it be prepared.

Last week, however, I came across a different method of cooking it and I am forever converted. It is requires a TINY bit more effort, but it was sooooooooooooooooooooo worth it. It came out really light and fluffy.

I put about 3 cups water in a pot, brought it to a boil and added 1 cup quinoa. Boiled it for 10 minutes. Strained the quinoa in a sieve. Put about 1" water back in the original pot and put the strainer across the top of the pot. I covered the quinoa in the strainer with a clean tea towel (folded up) and then covered it with a lid (apparently doesn't have to fit well). I then steamed the quinoa for another 10 minutes. Let it stand, covered for 5 min. It seems like a big production, but it doesn't take a minute longer - all you're doing is straining midway though. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Will do this from now one.

Hmm, thanks for the oatmeal alternative idea. Oats cause me bloat and cramping issues and I had given up all hope of ever being able to have something like that when I get up. I wonder how quinoa would go if you cooked it, added fruit and stuff, and refrigerated it to make a dessert?

seamonkey789

Make sure you rinse the quinoa before you cook it. I make this based off a bean dip recipe my mom has

Boil 1 package of quinoa
Toss black beans, kidney beans, and chopped black olives into a bowl with some chopped jalapenos. Add a little olive oil and a ton on cilantro and let it marinate while the quinoa is boiling (I boil mine in vegetable stock)

Toss the quinoa in and let it all marinate over night and nom

madeleinedun11

Quinoa Exploration day 2!
Today I made a risotto packed with vegetables and tomatoes and it was delicious!

Going to try the oatmeal for breakfast with cinnamon and apples tomorrow! Excited!

Also made such a big batch of Quinoa risotto it will do for lunches all week! (hopefully I won't get tired of it!)