Any favorite quinoa recipes?

We are not vegetarians, but I am trying to incorporate more whole grains into our side dishes - DH would never think of eating a dinner without some meat, while I occasionally will eat an all veggie meal.

I'm going to try him on some quinoa as a side dish this week. Any tried and true recipes you'd like to share?

Thanks!

Christine

christine wrote:I'm going to try him on some quinoa as a side dish this week. Any tried and true recipes you'd like to share?

Christine,

No recipes, but a funny story from a number of years ago. I was in Sherwyn's on Diversey, asked for quinoa, pronounced it phonetically as opposed to the correct pronunciation (keenwah).

For my efforts I was privy to a ever-so-scathing look, 3-minute lecture on the correct pronunciation, and the suggestion I devolve from my present 'aggressive' eating habits.

Keeeeeeeeenwah, it's what's for dinner.

Enjoy,
Gary

'aggressive' meaning 'carnivorous'?

If you were in a Jewel and asking a typical 16 year old working there, using the phonetic spelling would probably get you much farther than the proper pronunciation...so...it's all relative!!

And, keen-wah is fun to say!

I have a funny story. I mentioned that I wanted to try quinoa to MIL when we were visiting a few years ago (DC area). She promptly produced a box and suggest I take it home. I got home and saw the expiration date was 1996! Some people can't throw anything away!

Anyway, being that it has a 'germ', I was told not to use it as the oils can go rancid. It ain't pasta!

Christine

Oh, so my mother isn't the only one who buys boxes of stuff and keeps them way past their expiration date? I was once at her house when she had company and she asked me to arrange some french butter cookies on a plate for dessert. I tasted one and started gagging. When I told her they were rancid she told me I must be mistaken. I pointed out that the freshness date was at least two years old. She got really angry with me when I just threw them in the garbage.

My sister-in-law amuses herself by going through my mother's pantry when she comes into town and throwing away anything that is way past its freshness date. The trick is to do it so my mom doesn't notice the stuff is missing -- otherwise, she is likely to go through the trash and put it back.

When I had given up all forms of gluten, I could eat quinoa. I had some crackers and cheese I served to a friend. He ate it without complaint. And then I realized the crackers were moldy! Oooops! Now, I scrutinize what I serve.

Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" has a great recipe on page 196 for Quinoa "Pilaf".
2 T olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion or leek
1 C quinoa, rinsed several changes of water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 3/4 C chicken, beef or veggie stock, or water, warmed

1. Place the oil in a medium to large deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for a good 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add all the liquid at once.
3. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. If all the liquid has been absorbed but the quinoa is not tender, add 1/4 C water and continue to cook until tender. If any liquid remains, remove the lid and raise the heat a bit; cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates.

Mark Bittman has a simpler recipe, but this is superior.

Hey, here is a quinoa web site:
http://www.quinoa.net/Recipes/Grain/grain.html

One of my favorite lazy dinners is quinoa spagetti with Maggiano's bottled pasta sauce.

Quinoa provides a complete protein, unlike most other grains! Some of the tastiest healthy food I know!

Here is a recipe that I've used incorporating Quinoa and people seem to enjoy it. I usually serve it with grilled quail & a balsamic glaze.

Smoked Bacon & Black Quinoa Pilaf

To make one qt...

2 Bacon slices, diced
1/2 c Onion, small dice
1/2 c Carrot, small dice
1/2 c Red Bell Pepper, small dice
3/4 c Basmati Rice
3/4 c Black Quinoa
2 1/4 c Water
TT Salt & Pepper
1/4 c Sugar Peas, shelled & cooked
1/2 c of Scallions, sliced thinly on the bias

1. ) Cook diced bacon in a sauce pan until crisp, remove bacon and reserve.

2.) Add the onions, carrots, & bell peppers to the rendered bacon grease and saute for about 2 minutes (lightly softened).

3.) Add the rice and quinoa and saute' until the rice becomes translucent and completely covered in the bacon grease.

4.) Add the water, bring to a boil, season with salt & pepper, cover and cookever low heat or a 350 degree oven until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender(approximately 20-30 minutes).

5.) Remove from heat, fluff with fork and add the reserved bacon, peas, & green onions.

One of the things I love about LTH is that every time I'm thinking I should post something, there's already a thread started on that very subject...

I've also been on a bit of a whole grains kick lately, which led me to the phenomenal cookbook, "Cook's Guide to Grains: Delicious Recipes, Culinary Advice and Nutritional Facts" by Jenni Muir. Although I have yet to make many of the recipes, I have spent a good number of hours reading through the book itself. The author, in the introduction, even gives a shout out to Chicago's very own Charlie Trotter. One of the best things about the cookbook is the presence of detailed tables for cooking each of the grains (with liquid amount, time, etc). For some of the more unusual whole grains (just try finding a lot of recipes for amaranth), it's a great resource.

You also might want to look into macrobiotic or vegan cookbooks. I'm neither a vegan (not even a vegetarian!) nor an adherent to the macrobiotic lifestyle, but I have found useful recipes incorporating whole grains from both sources.

All of that said, let me say lastly that quinoa is a very versatile grain. I tend to serve it in the same way I would serve couscous or even rice (yes, I'm generally too lazy to look for specific recipes, and just attempt to make those I already know fit with what I'm cooking).

My question is more about method than recipe. Does anyone have any experience cooking quinoa in a rice cooker? I understand that it can be done and from what I've read, the main thing is to use 1 part grain and 2 parts water, by volume. However, I'm not really sure which setting I should use on the rice cooker. I can choose between white (regular, sushi, soft or hard), brown, semi-brown or porridge settings.

Can anyone provide some guidance on this?

Thanks,

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:My question is more about method than recipe. Does anyone have any experience cooking quinoa in a rice cooker? I understand that it can be done and from what I've read, the main thing is to use 1 part grain and 2 parts water, by volume. However, I'm not really sure which setting I should use on the rice cooker. I can choose between white (regular, sushi, soft or hard), brown, semi-brown or porridge settings.

Can anyone provide some guidance on this?

Thanks,

=R=

For ease, I only ever cook quinoa in the rice cooker and have been more than satisfied with the results. You're right about the 1:2 ratio. I have a very simple rice cooker made for just one person, so I don't have different settings. I just push the one and only button (probably geared toward white rice). Someone can correct me, but quinoa strikes me (an Asian woman who couldn't cook rice to save her life!) as much harder to mess up than rice.

christine wrote:I'm going to try him on some quinoa as a side dish this week. Any tried and true recipes you'd like to share?

I usually just eat quinoa in place of plain rice, but--neither a side nor a warm start-of-autumn dish--I'm very fond of this Moroccan squash and carrot stew with quinoa.

I generally use quinoa as a base for whatever herbs and vegetables I want to use up.

Recipe = Cooked quinoa + steamed or sauteed vegetables + chopped herbs + olive oil + vinegar + salt and pepper.

Best,
Michael

happy_stomach wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:My question is more about method than recipe. Does anyone have any experience cooking quinoa in a rice cooker? I understand that it can be done and from what I've read, the main thing is to use 1 part grain and 2 parts water, by volume. However, I'm not really sure which setting I should use on the rice cooker. I can choose between white (regular, sushi, soft or hard), brown, semi-brown or porridge settings.

Can anyone provide some guidance on this?

Thanks,

=R=

For ease, I only ever cook quinoa in the rice cooker and have been more than satisfied with the results. You're right about the 1:2 ratio. I have a very simple rice cooker made for just one person, so I don't have different settings. I just push the one and only button (probably geared toward white rice). Someone can correct me, but quinoa strikes me (an Asian woman who couldn't cook rice to save her life!) as much harder to mess up than rice.

Thanks, h_s, I'll try it tonight -- using the white rice setting -- and report back.

I do think you're right about this being harder to mess up than rice. Still, I have a way with things . . .

=R=

I've used quinoa in soups / stew like things and liked it quite a lot.

I've also made tabbouleh using quinoa instead of bulghur. A bit of a different texture, but it works very nicely.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:My question is more about method than recipe. Does anyone have any experience cooking quinoa in a rice cooker? I understand that it can be done and from what I've read, the main thing is to use 1 part grain and 2 parts water, by volume. However, I'm not really sure which setting I should use on the rice cooker. I can choose between white (regular, sushi, soft or hard), brown, semi-brown or porridge settings.

Can anyone provide some guidance on this?

Thanks,

=R=

For ease, I only ever cook quinoa in the rice cooker and have been more than satisfied with the results. You're right about the 1:2 ratio. I have a very simple rice cooker made for just one person, so I don't have different settings. I just push the one and only button (probably geared toward white rice). Someone can correct me, but quinoa strikes me (an Asian woman who couldn't cook rice to save her life!) as much harder to mess up than rice.

Thanks, h_s, I'll try it tonight -- using the white rice setting -- and report back.

I do think you're right about this being harder to mess up than rice. Still, I have a way with things . . .

=R=

The quinoa that I cooked tonight in my rice cooker (Zojirushi Fuzzy Logic, non-induction) was, without question, the best quinoa I've ever had. Of course, I attribute this more to the source of the quinoa -- Bolivia, via Rancho Gordo -- than to the cooking method. Still, 6 parts water and 3 parts quinoa (and a teaspoon of kosher salt) cooked on the regular, 'white rice' setting, yielded light, tender, perfectly-cooked grains that were delicious and slighty nutty in their aroma. For reference, the batch cooked in just under an hour.

I definitely recommend cooking quinoa in the rice cooker and even more so, recommend ordering it from RanchoGordo.com.

=R=

I like this one: http://www.recipe4living.com/Recipe/41350-QuinoaPilaf.aspx

Ronnie, I'd agree with you that rice cooker-made quinoa truly is tops - and you can't beat it for simplicity! I do tend to find that quinoa needs less salt than making the equivalent amount of rice, not sure why. My favorite type of quinoa is the red quinoa from Alter Eco, which you can get at Whole Foods...though I will definitely order some from Rancho Gordo next time I need to stock up on beans!

Here's my all-time crowd pleasing recipe - great for parties, as it makes a ton. For a main course, I mix in some leftover roast chicken. My husband would love it if I made this salad every week - its one of his favorite meals, and he's not a "salad guy."

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... ALAD-12245

Thanks, Jenn, for the tips. The recipe looks great and I will definitely pickup some of the red quinoa from Alter Eco next time I go to WF.

=R=