Quinoa... omg!

I heard of but been to afraid to try. What is the texture like? Is it like rice? I have been trying to open my mind to new things, so willing to give it a try.

I love it! It is very versatalie. You can have it cold with chopped bell peppers, olive oil, salt and pepper as a salad. It is also great added to stir frys, curried, and even as an oatmeal alternative, you just serve it hot with almond milk,cinnamon,fruit (preferably bananas)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/529408-quinoa-what-is-your-favorite-recipe
Here's a link (I hope) to this very same topic. Check it out. It has many good ideas.

I tried it for the first time last week, bought a pre-flavored pack...black bean. I was pleasantly surprised! WIll definitely use it again, probably buy some plain and flavor it myself. The texture is different...not quite couscous, not quite rice...hard to describe!

try cooking in in broth instead of water. it gives it a great flaver that stands on its own. I add browned ground turkey and tomatoe sauce for a "spanish" rice type of meal (along with peppers, onions and garlic)

I use it quite a bit. I LOVE it, and it's so healthy! There are several websites dedicated to quinoa recipes, so I tend to find something new whenever I'm going to fix it. But if I just want something simple, i cook it in low-sodium chicken broth and add chopped veggies - whatever I on hand. It makes a great side dish! Also, you can get quinoa flakes you can bake with. I've made muffins, pancakes, cereal - very good!

I LOVE quinoa! I make a yummy pineapple quinoa stir-fry.

Basically I saute some onion, a bit of garlic and mushrooms. Add in the cooked quinoa and stir it up good. Add bite sized pieces of kale. Cover and let kale cook 3-4 min. Add pineapple chunks and fresh mint. Serve.

I've seen "mac&cheese" recipes but I am skeptical. I also have a recipe for a quinoa patty that I am going to try this week. I also like it cold.

I would say as well as a nutty flavor, I find it slightly crunchy. To boost flavor you can cook it in broth. I have never added butter to the broth while cooking it but I bet you could do that to.

I love it! I tried it about a year ago and have been enjoying with chicken, fish and vegetables. I've basically used it as a rice substitute but after reading these posts, I now have some other ideas of how I can eat it. I like the idea of trying it as an oatmeal or using it to stuff peppers. Oh, I actually did have it at a Cuban restaurant recently. It was mixed with some type of cheese and stuffed into a spicy pepper and it was delicious!

I was at target the other day and decided to buy Quinoa (i've been seeing a lot of recipes on Pinterest using it) and when I was making it tonight (thank GOODNESS for my rice cooker!) I was really worried about what I was getting myself into! My boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy when he saw it, but we were both pleasantly surprised!

Do any of you lovely people use Quinoa and if so, what are some of your favorite recipes?

In the rice cooker do you cook it just like you would rice?