Quinoa

[GoodbyeGirl]

How do you properly rinse it? I use a fine mesh strainer and let it go under the sink...

i don't even use a strainer to rinse mine. i rinse it the way you rinse the starch off of white rice. just measure it into the pan you will cook it in, put some water in and rub it around with your hand to work the coating off, then pour the water out. keep repeating a few times until it seems clear and clean.

i think its mild nutty flavor goes really well with a sweet taste. i always make it with apples because i am boring. use apple juice instead of all or part of the cooking water and throw in some diced apple pieces, or dried apple pieces while cooking. i suppose any fruit would work as well.

[Hemlock]

I love the stuff, I didn't know you had to rinse it tho'! I eat both white and red quinoa and didn't really notice any bitterness. The white quinoa is more palatable I think.

[BlueMonarch]

yo chaps. today i boiled some quinoa. it was okay but kind of boring.

anybody know a good way to spice it up?

but it needs to be SIMPLE please... my lack of skill and finesse in the bedroom is exceed ONLY by my appalling inadequacies in the kitchen.

i thank you. :)

OMG, I LMAO when i saw this thread! XD
I so agree with u here, and I assumed there must b better ways to make this stuff! lol, thx for all who posted up awesome ideas, ima get to cookn now! ;D

[ravenfire]

I usually just cook it with a vegan boullion cube thrown in but sometimes I add sauteed onion, garlic & tomato. I've never tried a sweet version but the apple quinoa that goodbyegirl posted about sounds really good!

I hadn't heard of the fair trade issues with it though. I buy mine in bulk as well so I'll have to look for a brand now that's fair trade. Hopefully I can find one, quinoa is my favorite grain!!!

[VeganJohn]

I have some Quinoa in the cupboard that I have been meaning to use for ages. I can't seem to find any decent recipes, so I am asking on here - can anyone give me some suggestion as to what to do with tis high protein grain? I also have some Quinoa flakes.

Thanks folks

[jennyL]

I made some stuffed peppers with quinoa....got the recipe from vegan with a vengence

[paulvegan]

im verly boring with it , i use it instead of rice,or use it in saled.

[fiamma]

I just found out about the background of this food in my Cultural Anthropology class. My professor has been working with the indigeneous people in the Andes since the 1960s (mainly Inca descendants). Anyways, she informed us of this food and it's background. I know a lot of vegan's eat it so I want to inform you all on the social injustice it has played in the developed world. Basically, a couple of professors from the University of Colorado visited Bolivia to conduct some studies on the culture and what not. They came across the Quinoa grain in a market place and learned about it's high protein content. Anyways, they brought it back to the U.S. and asked the World Trade Organization for a patten. The WTO gave it to them. Now these people recieve all the money if and when this product is sold. Now these indigeneous people in Bolivia recieve no money for growing it or attempting to sell it. The Bolivian people have been harvesting it for years, but recieve no benefit for doing so now. These people are being exploited and manipulated by the WTO, the professors, the globalized world, and foremost us, the consumers of the world. I recommend the boycott of the product until it remains fair trade and we can buy the product without a middle man or the BIG MAN!

Hi VitaminB, that's an interesting story - pity not more people replied to your message. Maybe you could post this in the "news" thread? But some quinoa must be fairtrade - I can't believe the producers get no money at all. What do you think?

[paulvegan]

granovita red organic quinoa is vita fair, wich is there version of fair trade.

[herbwormwood]

only GM seeds/crops can be patented.
Ensuring we buy organic quinoa and rice means it is GM free.
US and EU grain subsidies and unfair "free" trade rules are the reason Bolivian farmers get a low price. We would all do well to consider where our food is grown and support and lobby for fair trade, but I don't see the need to boycott quinoa. Organic quinoa is suited to the Bolivian environment and Bolivians were growing it hundreds of years ago.

[puffin]

7 oz quinoa
3/4 veg stock
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp of pesto (if you can find some vegan pesto if not make it or i bought some sun-dried tomato paste and took out the sundried tomatoes and olive oil)
1 1/2 oz sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cucumber, diced
about 6 cherry tomatoes quartered.
small can of sweetcorn.

Wash quinoa well. Put into a saucepan with the stock bring to the boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until tender and nearly all the stock has been absorbed. Mix oil, lemon juice and pesto (sun-dried tom) with a little pepper into a bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and the remaing ing. Toss together.

[cedarblue]

i think i will try this, for me quinoa is an acquired taste. i have it as porridge occasionally but i need to be in the mood.

thanks puffin

[DonQuinoa]

Ahhharrghh! Ahoy there Puffin!

Quinoa - Food o' the Atztec an Inca Gods a salad fit fer a king no doubt.

A sea faring critter I be an I like to toss a bit o seaweed into my Quinoa salad and some wild mushrooms and some chopped wild garlic or watercress.

Depending on provisions I may drizzle a smidgen o hemp oil and tamari on it fer titillating the tastebuds.

AAAAAAAAAAAHaaaaaaaaaaaaarrggh!

[applepie]

Mmh, sounds like a nice combination. I usually make quinoa salad with carrots and spring onions, but I'll definitely give this recipe a try!

[puffin]

Ahhharrghh! Ahoy there Puffin!

Quinoa - Food o' the Atztec an Inca Gods a salad fit fer a king no doubt.

A sea faring critter I be an I like to toss a bit o seaweed into my Quinoa salad and some wild mushrooms and some chopped wild garlic or watercress.

Depending on provisions I may drizzle a smidgen o hemp oil and tamari on it fer titillating the tastebuds.

AAAAAAAAAAAHaaaaaaaaaaaaarrggh!

Lol, just had a look in your profile and you really are a pirate

Applepie the recipe did have spring onion in but the taste stays in my mouth for to long so i didnt add any. The whole family loved it yesterday so i recommend it if a fussy 9 year old loved it

[insubordination]

If you don't like quinoa, you could use cous cous.

Thank you so much for this recipe. I'm always trying to come up with new meal ideas and I can tell that this is going to be a staple. I will add lentils too, I think.

I just made a fresh batch of pesto and now I know what to do with it. Pesto is so easy. There's no need to buy pre-prepared. Just put fresh basil in a food processor with pine nuts, almonds or pistachios and add a bit of lemon, garlic, oil and maybe half a tomato or a spoonful of tahini. It's delicious!

[ellaminnowpea]

Mmmm I love quinoa. I mostly eat it as porridge in the form of quinoa flakes, but I think I'll try one of the more dinner/supper - like recipes. They all sound really good!

[Rutabaga]

Quinoa is the best. I have some for lunch almost every day. There's also a top notch quinoa-chickpea pilaf recipe in veganomicon that got rave reviews by my omni bf.

[rantipole]

Quinoa is the best. I have some for lunch almost every day. There's also a top notch quinoa-chickpea pilaf recipe in veganomicon that got rave reviews by my omni bf.

Oooh! I'll have to try that. I love both chickpeas and quinoa and I have that book. I'll plan that for after-the-weekend cooking.

Thanks for the tip!

I also use quinoa instead of rice when I make chili--not always, but sometimes.

Cheers,
rant

[huachita]

only GM seeds/crops can be patented.
Ensuring we buy organic quinoa and rice means it is GM free.
US and EU grain subsidies and unfair "free" trade rules are the reason Bolivian farmers get a low price. We would all do well to consider where our food is grown and support and lobby for fair trade, but I don't see the need to boycott quinoa. Organic quinoa is suited to the Bolivian environment and Bolivians were growing it hundreds of years ago.

What about quinoa bought in Chile? I know its an Andes crop, but am not sure it's grown in Chile. Though I know it's grown in Peru and Bolivia. I wonder if my quinoa is screwing over Bolivian farmers? I´ll have to ask my provider, though that won´t be for quite a while... still have about 45 pounds to go. haha

Yeah, that's why I´m in to the idea of being a "locavore", eating foods from the place where one's living, like I´m from Minnesota and plan to eat wild rice upon my return, and strawberries, blueberries, and probably will read up on and talk to the native americans there to see what their ancestors ate. I feel like modern diets are soo messed up...anyway, meanwhile I´ve got 50 pounds of quinoa in the cupboard, well now its 45. Hee-hee.

Though extreme locavorism would be sort of a drag I think, it is fun to eat foods from other areas too. But yeah being a locavore has it's advantages, like cutting down on the use of fossil fuels for transport, and perhaps not screwing over the Bolivian indigenous people, though I´m not at all versed in this debate.

But this is a great thread since lately I've been eating quinoa like an Incan.

Anyway I have two good recipes that I´ve developed eating these first 5 pounds of quinoa. I think they are quite good.

One: Quinoa salad, maybe "quinoa quasi-teriyaki salad":

Put in bowl:
cooked quinoa, cool
chopped tomatoes
chopped green pepper
a small amount of chopped onion
grated garlic (I use this mini grater about two inches tall, works wonderfully)
grated fresh ginger
soy sauce
olive oil - I like a lot of olive oil
spicy sauce

Mix together and eat. Mmmm

The second recipe is quite good but don´t have it with me. I´ll try to remember to post it later. But it's enchiladas stuffed with quinoa, fried zucchini and fried green pepper. yummy

[Ruby Rose]

Yeah, that's why I´m in to the idea of being a "locavore", eating foods from the place where one's living, like I´m from Minnesota and plan to eat wild rice upon my return, and strawberries, blueberries, and probably will read up on and talk to the native americans there to see what their ancestors ate.

You're lucky to live somewhere which has yummy indigenous foods all year round - in this part of Britain, you'd be living on potatoes and turnips from October 'til May! (Someone from Australia on another thread said they didn't understand why anyone would use margarine when they could just use an avocado instead... and I sat there thinking it's 'cos an avocado has to come a thousand miles to me!).

I cook my quinoa with veggie stock and cloves, then use it like rice or cous cous.

[Stine]

Heres a great recipe use it all the time... Hope yu can understand the measurements..

Quinoa salad (can be served warm or cold)
175 g quinoa
4 dl water
4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
225 g cherry tomatoes, halved
a small bundle of spring onions sliced
a small can of corn, drained
a pinch of sugar
lemon juice
salt and pepper

1.saute the quinoa in a dry pot until it becomes golden
2.add water and cook for 15 minutes
3.Remove from the heat and let sit a couple of minutes or until cold
4.Mix it all and ad sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper after taste

[ellaminnowpea]

Heres a great recipe use it all the time... Hope yu can understand the measurements..

Quinoa salad (can be served warm or cold)
175 g quinoa
4 dl water
4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
225 g cherry tomatoes, halved
a small bundle of spring onions sliced
a small can of corn, drained
a pinch of sugar
lemon juice
salt and pepper

1.saute the quinoa in a dry pot until it becomes golden
2.add water and cook for 15 minutes
3.Remove from the heat and let sit a couple of minutes or until cold
4.Mix it all and ad sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper after taste

this looks sooo good! whats dl?

[Stine]

deciliter 4 dl = 0.4 liter
you can cange it on this page
http://www.metric-conversions.org/volume-conversion.htm

[ellaminnowpea]

ah thanks... stupid US measurements!

[Stine]

your welcome... Yeah it could be so much easier if it was the same

[huachita]

You're lucky to live somewhere which has yummy indigenous foods all year round - in this part of Britain, you'd be living on potatoes and turnips from October 'til May! (Someone from Australia on another thread said they didn't understand why anyone would use margarine when they could just use an avocado instead... and I sat there thinking it's 'cos an avocado has to come a thousand miles to me!).

hahaha. That's hilarious. Well, the idea of being a "locavore" for me is never so extreme. I definitely complement the local foods I eat with typical foods imported from who-knows-where. Like coconut milk is one of my favorite foods and don´t plan on giving it up. Actually right now I live in Chile and that´s great for eating local foods. There are TONS of avocados here. Lately they've been selling for $1.50 to $2 dollars the kilo. Yummy. And quinoa is grown in Northern Chile. And they have tons of fruits and veggies here. The luck of the land, I guess.

[Aurore]

considering where i live, i have not too much problems getting my hands on some stuff. and i just refilled the cupboard with one kilo of quinoa, i love it. i have a cookbook filled with quinoa recipes, i also have adapted my rice pudding recipe to make a quinoa pudding. hmm, and my quinoa pudding is just so filling. here's some recipes i love and tested on my family (they're taken from the book i mentioned i hope it's okay to put them here) :

Quinoa tabbouleh (great for summer !)

250g white&red quinoa
the juice of a lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
a handfull dry raisins (sultana for example)
parsley
a few leaves of mint
4 onions [ you can use less ]
4 tomatoes
1 carrot (grated)

cook the quinoa as usual. put it in a big salad bowl. add the lemon juice, olive oil, raisins, parsley and mint (chopped). stir. cut the tomatoes in cubes and the onions in thin slices. add to the quinoa. add the grated carrot, salt to your taste and stir. let it sit one hour in the fridge.

be sure to use the raisins, they give a nice sweet taste. makes about 4 servings for hungry people, more if you use it as a starter.

Quinoa salad fruit (4 servings)

weigh 150g quinoa
use the same volume of orange juice
half the volume of water
1 tsp powder vanilla [or a few drops of vanilla extract]
1 orange
1 apple
8 dates
1 tbsp almond purée
3 tbsp soy/almond cream
1 tbsp sugar
30g sliced almonds

rinse the quinoa. cook it with the orange juice, water and vanilla for 10 minutes at medium heat. cover and let it finish absorbing the liquids for 15 minutes. peel and core the apple, and cut it in cubes. peel the orange and cut it in sections. peel and mince the dates. add the fruits to the quinoa and stir.
blend together the cream and the almond purée, then add the sugar. add to the quinoa. put it in the fridge. serve in ramequins.
before serving, roast the sliced almonds in a frying pan, then add some on top of the quinoa for a nice finish.

makes a great fresh dessert, the quinoa really drinks the taste of the orange juice.

[ellaminnowpea]

WOW! Both of those recipes look sooooo good! I would love to make these sometime, thanks Aurore.

[huachita]

WOW! Both of those recipes look sooooo good! I would love to make these sometime, thanks Aurore.

word.

[Klytemnest]

yo chaps. today i boiled some quinoa. it was okay but kind of boring.

anybody know a good way to spice it up?

but it needs to be SIMPLE please... my lack of skill and finesse in the bedroom is exceed ONLY by my appalling inadequacies in the kitchen.

i thank you.

You are right; quinoa simply does not have much of a taste. Actually, none of the grains do. Oh, but there is so much you can do!

What I do is I buy some vegan bouillion from Whole Foods, the kind that has salt and herbs. I add some extra turmeric and dried oregano flakes. I bring it to a boil and then I add the quinoa and some red lentils. I cook it on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then I add some chopped up broccoli and cashews! Yum! Sometimes I add a sauteed mixture of leeks, mushroom, red bell pepper, smothered with thyme and oregano. Just get creative with it and figure out what pleases you best. I just love my cashews!

I hope you don't give up on quinoa. It's very nutritious; high in protein and fiber and it cooks much more quickly than rye or kamut or even teff. Try the bouillion; that alone with be a huge improvement in taste.

[ellaminnowpea]

So for all of you regular quinoa cookers and eaters, do you rinse off the grains first? Then you put it in a pot with water, right...sort of like rice so it soaks it up? Then you'd add the spices? I'd guess it cooks down a little and you can add other stuff to it when the grains are softer.

[Roxy]

Quinoa salad fruit (4 servings)

weigh 150g quinoa
use the same volume of orange juice
half the volume of water
1 tsp powder vanilla [or a few drops of vanilla extract]
1 orange
1 apple
8 dates
1 tbsp almond purée
3 tbsp soy/almond cream
1 tbsp sugar
30g sliced almonds

rinse the quinoa. cook it with the orange juice, water and vanilla for 10 minutes at medium heat. cover and let it finish absorbing the liquids for 15 minutes. peel and core the apple, and cut it in cubes. peel the orange and cut it in sections. peel and mince the dates. add the fruits to the quinoa and stir.
blend together the cream and the almond purée, then add the sugar. add to the quinoa. put it in the fridge. serve in ramequins.
before serving, roast the sliced almonds in a frying pan, then add some on top of the quinoa for a nice finish.

makes a great fresh dessert, the quinoa really drinks the taste of the orange juice.

Mmmmm that sounds so lovely!

[Klytemnest]

So for all of you regular quinoa cookers and eaters, do you rinse off the grains first? Then you put it in a pot with water, right...sort of like rice so it soaks it up? Then you'd add the spices? I'd guess it cooks down a little and you can add other stuff to it when the grains are softer.

I do rinse it off, but then again I always rinse whatever grains I am preparing. I buy my quinoa in packages, not in bulk, so I suppose they are a bit cleaner to begin with. I had no idea not rinsing would result in a bitter taste. Yet e'en so, I imagine the vegan bouillion would cover it all up all the same.

Be careful not to overcook the quinoa. I did that several time and it just turned to mush. It did not affect the taste, but I missed the nice, crunchy texture. Regarding spices, my bouillion already has spices in it. But I like to add more. I add turmeric, which gives it a nice yellow color, and some basil and oregano flakes.

One time I tried sauteeing onions, oyster mushrooms and the pulp that was left over after I juiced some carrots. You know, it was surprisingly good.

Like I said before, adding cashews and broccoli are my favorite items to add to quinoa. Add the broccoli about 3-5 minutes before the end and add the cashews once you are finished cooking. Delish!

[treaclemine]

It can be a bit better than that in Britain in the winter ... all kinds of root veg, even celeriac, and hardy greens like kale, and sprouts, salads and herbs on your windowsill ... and dried grains, legumes, fruits and nuts ... especially if you've got a growing plot of your own ;-)

[Vegabond]

I was just wondering what are your fav Quinoa recipes. I usually just make a stir fry, but if I can get some more ideas, then I'm sure I would eat the benficial grain more often...

[mariana]

Hey there Vegabond! My dad is a little obsessed with quinoa, and he constantly buys books about it, so I will ask if he has any recipes (though I think most of his have cheese in them ). I made a good recipe the other day that I got off veganyumyum.com. It was chili-lime tofu with collard greens and quinoa. If you go to the site and scroll down it was the 3rd blog entry last time I looked. Quinoa is also good in tabbouleh, though I don't have a recipe for it (we usually buy it at the local health food store), but I'm sure if you googled quinoa tabbouleh you could find a recipe. Happy cooking!

[Vegabond]

Hey there Vegabond! My dad is a little obsessed with quinoa, and he constantly buys books about it, so I will ask if he has any recipes (though I think most of his have cheese in them ). I made a good recipe the other day that I got off veganyumyum.com. It was chili-lime tofu with collard greens and quinoa. If you go to the site and scroll down it was the 3rd blog entry last time I looked. Quinoa is also good in tabbouleh, though I don't have a recipe for it (we usually buy it at the local health food store), but I'm sure if you googled quinoa tabbouleh you could find a recipe. Happy cooking!

Thanks I'll check out that site...mmm tabbouleh! Have you ever tried Quinoa as a breakfast cereal?

[Kitteh]

I tend to cook it in my rice cooker and then eat it as is with whatever else I am having eg. tofu & steamed greens or I add it to a stir fry instead of rice.

You can have it for breakfast if you cook it like you would porridge with rice or soy milk and some raisins or fruit. Or you could add it to soup.

[Vegabond]

I tend to cook it in my rice cooker and then eat it as is with whatever else I am having eg. tofu & steamed greens or I add it to a stir fry instead of rice.

You can have it for breakfast if you cook it like you would porridge with rice or soy milk and some raisins or fruit. Or you could add it to soup.

why can't Mr. Quaker make an instant Quinoa cereal???

[Kitteh]

I don't know who Mr Quaker is but perhaps you should ask him :P

We have quinoa flakes, you could use them.

[Vegabond]

I don't know who Mr Quaker is but perhaps you should ask him :P

We have quinoa flakes, you could use them.

Mr Quaker is king of the instant cereals.


I'll have to keep my eye out for Quinoa flakes, thanks!

[mariana]

Thanks I'll check out that site...mmm tabbouleh! Have you ever tried Quinoa as a breakfast cereal?

I talked to my dad and he is in the process of "inventing" a vegan quinoa recipe (he likes to make up his own recipes--usually very odd ones). I'll let you know if he ever finishes. It is something involving vegetables all indigenous to the Americas. It will probably be a casserole of some sort as that is what he tends to make.

I have had quinoa as a breakfast cereal--my dad made it before and put soymilk and maple syrup on it but to me it was kind of weird/gross. I'm not sure why; I think it was just because I didn't associate quinoa w/ sweetness and the maple syrup was kind of overly sweet. I think I'll have to give it another shot, though!

There actually is an instant quinoa porridge--much like instant Oatmeal--but I'm not sure how easy it is to find. I'll ask my dad about that too. He's made it for me before. They had several flavors, but I don't remember what they were. I think one was apple cinnamon, and another was maple raisin or something.

I tend to cook it in my rice cooker and then eat it as is with whatever else I am having eg. tofu & steamed greens or I add it to a stir fry instead of rice.

Ooh, I never thought of cooking it in a rice cooker! I am going to have to try that.

[Vegabond]

I talked to my dad and he is in the process of "inventing" a vegan quinoa recipe (he likes to make up his own recipes--usually very odd ones). I'll let you know if he ever finishes. It is something involving vegetables all indigenous to the Americas. It will probably be a casserole of some sort as that is what he tends to make.

I have had quinoa as a breakfast cereal--my dad made it before and put soymilk and maple syrup on it but to me it was kind of weird/gross. I'm not sure why; I think it was just because I didn't associate quinoa w/ sweetness and the maple syrup was kind of overly sweet. I think I'll have to give it another shot, though!

There actually is an instant quinoa porridge--much like instant Oatmeal--but I'm not sure how easy it is to find. I'll ask my dad about that too. He's made it for me before. They had several flavors, but I don't remember what they were. I think one was apple cinnamon, and another was maple raisin or something.


Ooh, I never thought of cooking it in a rice cooker! I am going to have to try that.

Hey that would be great, I can't see myself rinsing then cooking Quinoa in the AM

[ellaminnowpea]

You can buy instant quinoa flakes - its like oatmeal. They're made by Ancient Harvest.

[Vegabond]

You can buy instant quinoa flakes - its like oatmeal. They're made by Ancient Harvest.

Thanks...I'll have to hit a health food store one of these days, as it seems mainstream grocers have a small selection of vegan foods.

[ellaminnowpea]

What mainstream stores do you have up there? I can get it here in the middle of nowhere in the grocery stores. Its usually with the gluten-free foods in the "natural" section.

[Kitteh]

Mariana, it comes out nice and fluffy when I do it in the rice cooker

[Vegabond]

What mainstream stores do you have up there? I can get it here in the middle of nowhere in the grocery stores. Its usually with the gluten-free foods in the "natural" section.

Well in Canada eh, we have Loblaws, and they have a nice organic section so I'll have a look...
again I've been doin this for about 6 months now, so I still have a lot to discover.Thanks!

[mariana]

Mariana, it comes out nice and fluffy when I do it in the rice cooker

Ooh, nice. Thanks for the tip, Kitteh!