Quinoa

I love it and cook it many ways - a favorite is with the zest and juice of 1 lemon.

However, and much to my sadness, I have developed a sensitivity and it gives me wicked stomach cramps - enough to keep my up all night. We did some research online, and it suggested that even though I bought the pre-rinsed kind, it is better to rinse, rinse and rinse some more. Some even suggested soaking it for the day in water and a bit of acid. Once I work up the nerve again I'll try it with soaking for the day. And if that doesn't work I'll give it up completely.

I hope your experience is better as it is a great healthy protein source.

The only way I've had it is as a cold salad...good stuff...chopped cukes, red onion, cilantro in a lime garlic dressing homemade of course. Needs to sit in dressing in fridge for an hour...

Super_Dave wrote:
I don't care for the flavor in the same way I'm not a brown rice fan. Quinoa shows up on thos healthy food diets so it's a sign of what to expect taste wise. LOL!

We just throw away the quinoa and eat its cardboard box. Tastes a little better.:B

I think the flavor is pretty mild and seems to disappear if stronger flavors are with it. It's good with dressing and salad fixings, I add it to chili and cut back on the meat, it can be added to soups in place of rice or barley. The reasoning behind it all is the fact it's nearly a complete protein. Some say complete, other sources say it's lacking one, that beans happen to have. Supposedly beans and quinoa combine to make a complete protein.

Thanks for the responses...I might give it a try.

Just never plant a few seeds thinking you will see if you like it enough to grow your own because those plants are invasive, never give up, and if you decide you don't like quinoa, you will spend the rest of your life trying to get rid of the plants: I'm still at it 17 years later!

I cook it and use it the same way I do rice. In fact, I often mix it with brown rice when cooking and use as a side dish. Adding it to a tuna salad recipe is also very delicious.

There are lots of uses for quinoa, not just rice substitution. But what little taste it has is a bit nutty. If you use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, it'll boil up just like rice. If you make that chicken, beef, or vegetable broth instead of water, it'll take on those flavors. Try it in Spanish rice or stuffed peppers.

For what it is worth, unlike rice, its protein is complete and fully digestible, where rice needs the complimentary incomplete protein of beans to be useful.

BTW, there are several pre-cooked microwave products that come in a bag you toss in the microwave for 90 seconds that we've found tasty. One is brown rice and quinoa, another is quinoa and red beans. Seeds of Change is one brand we've enjoyed while camping.

Another thing we sometimes do is make quinoa pancakes by adding a tablespoon of baking powder to a cup of quinoa flour, a tablespoon of cooking oil, and "enough" water. No gluten, no egg, no milk, perfect for vegans and folks on gluten free diets, although you can add milk or egg if you want.

I don't care for the flavor in the same way I'm not a brown rice fan. Quinoa shows up on thos healthy food diets so it's a sign of what to expect taste wise. LOL!

I used it in a "Stuffed Pepper" recipe (I think it was on the Quinoa box), and it was very good. I'm not crazy about Quinoa, since there is little taste to it, but like rice, it does mix well with other flavors. I'd imagine that you could make a pretty good meal with Quinoa and Red Beans....mixing in some diced tomatoes and onions.

Just Google Quinoa Recipes, and you'll find more than you could ever make!:)