Quinoa...A grain-like superfood, that actually tastes good! Anyone eating it?

some of my friends cant stop singing the praises of this grain. ive never tried it. its been gaining increasing popularity and seems to be another one of those "foods of the poor" that is being discovered by the mainstream. maybe ill give it a whirl next time my friend cooks it.

double post. sorry :-(

I'm going to try the savory recipe. Thanks

If you are making any broth based soup (veg or meat) quinoa tastes fantastic in it. The texture is great and gives the feeling of small noodles. This is especially good for those who are hesitant to eat it 'rice style' or by itself. It is a wonderful boost when under the weather too! Very mild on the tummy.

Stir into hot soup (or water and add later) and cook until germ can barely be seen and the grain is translucent.

Quinoa grows on a long stalk (sometimes neon pink like pokeberry stems!) and yields an enormous amount. I saw a lot growing in community gardens while traveling in Ecuador and was struck by the way it looked and how easy/wild it seemed to grow. Ever seen millet stalks for small birds? It grows the exact same way.

www.incaorganics.com...

reply to post by donatellanator


The first time I had quinoa soup was in Brazil. It was called sopa de quinoa and was absolutely DELICIOUS. Ive looked high and low for the recipe for 2 decades, and cant find one that tastes exactly as I recall it, but this recipe is about the closest I actually have tried maybe 7 or 8 recipes to get the taste correct... this one was taken fro the internet somewhere and really is the closest to the taste I remember. Now go make some and ENJOY!!

OP : I have quite a few quinoa recipes.. its one of my staple foods for the family because its versatile and nutritious. I figure if you can incorporate organic quinoa and lentils into your everyday diet and not just a special dish.. youre doing better than taking many commercial vitamins. Let me know what your taste is like.. sweet, hot, sour, whatever you all like and I betcha I have a recipe on my portable HD. I have a quinoa and black bean soup that my overly picky 5 yr old actually ASKS me to make.. and thats a miracle. I also have more "survival" type recipes with quinoa... more plain type that are traditional and use few ingredients.

Justa FYI.. 2 other posters and I are in the process of making an epic thread or 2 of all of our canning recipes ( including meats and meals) plus more survival or camping recipes and methods. I have a coffee can camp stew or 2 that will knock your socks off.. stay tuned I can tell you how to take the game taste out of any wild game. WE have a lot of really useful knowledge.. but organizing it enough for an easy to read thread is a nightmare! Our idea was to share everything we had with everyone else as times are getting harder.. and many of these recipes and skills cant be googled. I have maybe 30 depression-era recipes direct from my grandmother you wont find anywhere.. BUT on ATS here real soon

Just think, even in the Zombie Apocalypse... you too can eat like a king.



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2 quarts homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt (if using store-bought stock, do not add this)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb fresh spinach leaves (I used a 6-oz bag of baby spinach)
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed and chopped, stems discarded
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
3 sprigs mint, leaves removed and chopped
1 large jalapeño chile, stem, seeds and ribs removed, diced (I used a ripe red jalapeño, for color)
3/4 cup quinoa
2 stalks celery, diced
3 scallions, white and green parts, finely diced

In a stockpot over high heat (I use my 4-quart Dutch oven), combine the stock, chicken, bay leaf, thyme, 2 of the garlic cloves, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the post and set aside to cool. Strain the stock into a large measuring cup; discard the thyme, bay leaf and garlic, and set the stock aside.

In the same pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and remaining garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach, parsley, cilantro, mint and jalapeño, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the strained stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer, add the quinoa, celery and scallions, and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes.

While the stock is simmering, use two forks to shred the chicken. When the soup has cooked for the full time, uncover, add the chicken, and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Serve hot.

reply to post by Amaterasu


So, I've experimented with sweet and savory recipes.
I like it both ways. Took some of the savory to work, and once I pulled it from the microwave, people in the immediate area were popping their heads up from their desks.."what smells sooooo good?"

I does make an easy lunch...You just make extra, and take it to work!

reply to post by Advantage


Thanks Advantage, that looks delicious. I'll have to modify a little due to certain people's tastebuds. LOL
But that's the kind of food I could eat all the time.

Now I'm looking for a good fine mesh colander for rinsing. I used a bowl now, but end up losing a little when i pour the water off.

For anyone trying it...Make sure you look for it in bulk format. It's less than half the price of boxed.
My Safeway just started carrying it, but theyre asking 6.99 for a small box. Which I don't even think is a pound.

Originally posted by spacedoubt
reply to post by Amaterasu

 

So, I've experimented with sweet and savory recipes.
I like it both ways. Took some of the savory to work, and once I pulled it from the microwave, people in the immediate area were popping their heads up from their desks.."what smells sooooo good?"

I does make an easy lunch...You just make extra, and take it to work!

Awesome! [smile] Yes, it's a better choice than rice, I think, because it's more nutritious.

I have a soft spot in my heart fro the sweet versions. I add cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, almond, and so on. It's just the best dessert I can think of! [grin]

Gotta love Quinoa, so healthy and very tasty.

Been eating it for a few months now. Trying to create new recipes for it. Came up with a Cherry Coconut Quinoa Bread today which turned out ok. Not my best creation. I'm going to try making a Mango Quinoa Amaranth Bread loaf tomorrow. Quinoa has to soak overnight, though.

I figure that the Incans were one of the few groups to live to 100-120 without modern medicine, and quinoa was part of their diet. So there must be something super healthy about it.

I usually just cook up a batch of quinoa and keep it in the frig. I sprinkle it over the top of a salad. Add a handful to my fruit smoothie in the morn. Or sprinle it over the top of rice for Chicken Tandoori.

The most creative quinoa invention that I came up with so far is a unique pizza crust.

Hohokam Pizza Crust

3/4 cup of red quinoa, soaked in water for 8-12 hours, overnight
4 heaping tablespoons of cooked amaranth
3 tablespoons mesquite powder
2 tablespoons of light agave syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon oil

1. Rinse the dried quinoa several times, then place in a bowl and cover with 1 inch of water. Let soak for 8-12 hours.
2. Prepare amaranth to package directions.
3. Preheat oven to 425.
4. Rinse the red quinoa and place in a food processor. Add water and pulse into a puree.
5. Add amaranth, mesquite powder, agave, and salt. Pulse until smooth. Make sure mesquite powder is thouroughly mixed in.
6. Pick a pan that you want to be the size of your pizza crust. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of that pan. Then coat the parchment paper with oil.
7. Pour batter (thin crust) and smooth to the sides of the pan.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the crust over and bake for 5 more minutes.

For the sauce, I created something new. No tomatoes. The Hohokam did not eat tomatoes like the Aztecs. The did eat tomatillos of the physalis species or gooseberries which they planted alongside their cotton fields. So for a Hohokam pizza sauce, a gooseberry butternut squash sauce. Orange gooseberries , like incan pichuberries (physalis peruviana). Hohokam also ate orange winter gooseberries (physalis angulata), but a different subspecies than the incans.

Hohokam Pizza Sauce

1/2 cup dried orange winter gooseberries
1/4 cup water
4 heaping tablespoons of canned butternut squash puree
1 tablespoon of light agave syrup

Pulse in a food processor until smooth.

Toppings.

I tried duck with smoked gouda cheese. Delicious. Smoked cheese goes well with the mesquite powder in the crust.

Also amaranth greens with goat cheese turned out delicious.

Bake with toppings for 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven.