Quinoa

[Darcy03231]

I've seen quite a few threads mentioning quinoa lately so I thought I'd post this recipe for those looking for recipes for it. It came in my inbox today and I thought it sounded good.

Cajun Quinoa

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed & drained
1 cup carrots, coarsely shredded
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise & sliced
1 can golden hominy, rinsed & drained (14 oz)
1 tbsp fresh thyme or oregano, snipped

In a medium saucepan, cook onion in hot oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute more. Stir in quinoa, carrots, cajun seasoning and 2 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in zucchini, hominy and thyme/oregano. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes more or until quinoa and zucchini are tender and liquid is absorbed. Season to taste with salt.

Serves: 4

 

[Poohforyou]

That sounds really good, thanks for posting. What I love so much about quinoa is that it is a complete protein. Since I don't really like meat that much and workout a lot I'm always looking for ways to get protein.

I've substituted it for bulgar in tabouli with great success.

I'll have to give your recipe a try.

 

[dngnb8]

I wonder how much different this would be if you used chicken broth instead of water

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Is quinoa diet friendly? I have heard so much about it lately. What dept in the grocery store do you find it? I'm not much of a meat person so I would like to give this one a try.

 

[Poohforyou]

Is quinoa diet friendly? I have heard so much about it lately. What dept in the grocery store do you find it? I'm not much of a meat person so I would like to give this one a try.

Calorie wise it's a little more than white rice but it has about 3 times the fiber and twice the protein. It's also loaded with all kinds of vitamins and minerals. Check this out:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/10352/2

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Thank you. I think I will buy some tomorrow. It's worth a try since it is healthy.

 

[WDWBarb]

I made this recipe - it was very good.

Quinoa and Black Beans

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I made this recipe - it was very good.

Quinoa and Black Beans

OMG, that's right up my alley.....Mmmmmm

 

[Meriweather]

I am diabetic and use it all the time for a rice replacement and side dish.
It is very versitle and we like it a lot.

 

[Lucille1963]

I love quinoa! I cook mine in my rice cooker. Its a super easy side dish and so tasty too!

 

[Poohforyou]

Thank you. I think I will buy some tomorrow. It's worth a try since it is healthy.

I forgot to mention that it should be with the rice in the grocery store.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I love quinoa, too! It was hard to find in my store but I finally found it over in the health/organic foods. So, if your store doesn't carry it near the rice check there.

I recently made this and it was delicious (also posted on the What's for Dinner thread, along with a pic). It happens to be a Weight Watchers recipe:

Curried Quinoa with Chickpeas
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup cooked frozen peas and carrots, thawed
5 oz canned chickpeas, (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup golden seedless raisins
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tsp orange zest, grated

Combine the quinoa, orange juice, water, curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, and allspice in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 12–15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peas and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and almonds; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat, then stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

Transfer the quinoa mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the raisins, scallions, cilantro, and orange zest; toss well. Stir in the chickpea mixture and serve at once or let the mixture cool to room temperature before serving. Yields 1 1/3 cup per serving.

I served it with Indian spiced chicken

 

[dngnb8]

Is quinoa diet friendly? I have heard so much about it lately. What dept in the grocery store do you find it? I'm not much of a meat person so I would like to give this one a try.

If youre not a meat person, its a grain that is high in protein. Its a good replacement to animal protein

Thank you. I think I will buy some tomorrow. It's worth a try since it is healthy.

Its quite good. Nutty flavor comparable to arborio rice

 

[tigercat]

What is hominy?
tigercat

 

[Imzadi]

Thank you. I think I will buy some tomorrow. It's worth a try since it is healthy.

I'm hypoglycemic/pre-diabetic. So I'm always looking at alternate ways to balance & keep my protein levels up and not spike my blood sugar levels. I also have hypothyroidism & fibroids, so I've had to go off red meats & most dairy.

Quinoa is wonderful. It is the only grain that is a complete protein. It's gluten-free for those who are looking for that in their diet. It's dry, so it stores well. It has a bland, yet slightly nutty flavor. So it won't be tasteless, like rice, as it does have it's own taste. However, it can be mixed with a variety of flavorful sauces or spices. It's very versatile and can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

If you don't buy the kind in a box that has been pre-rinsed, make sure you rinse it really well before cooking to get rid of the bitter taste. I rinse it like I would rice, placing it in a pot, and rubbing it through my hands in the water. I do this three times, or rinsing until the water runs clear and nothing is coming off when I rub.

For breakfast, I have it, the way I would oatmeal, with a little salt, butter, milk & a little sugar (substitute) & cinnamon. Other times of the day, I may also throw in dried or fresh fruit while cooking and some cinnamon. (I don't like to break my fast with sugary fruits in the morning.)

For lunch, I may make a cold quinoa salad (use less water to make it grainier,) with diced veggies and a can of beans, tossed in a vinaigrette.

For dinner, I use whatever sauce my entree is: chicken broth, or a pesto sauce, etc. For me, the heartier & more flavorful the sauce, the better. Just like rice or pasta, it's a hearty filler, taking on the flavor of the sauce.

For my cheesy-tomato bake, I cook the quinoa till almost done, add in tomato/pasta sauce, heat through. Then add on shredded cheese, like mozzarella or cheddar on top, cover, simmer for a couple minutes until the cheese melts on top. To serve, take a big ladle, scoop from the top down, so the cheese stays on top. It ends up similar to a baked lasagna, but without the noodle, and without any baking.

My new favorite way to have it is with Trader Joe's bottled, yellow curry sauce. I gently boil cut up chicken in water. After about 5 minutes, I add the quinoa. About a few minutes before being done, I add a can of mixed veggies (drained) and a little bit of the yellow curry sauce. A little goes a long way. Taste. You can always add more sauce. Heat till the veggies are heated through.

Other times, I also have quinoa with just butter and grated Parmesan cheese. If I make it with chicken broth, butter and grated Parmesan cheese, it becomes more like a thick polenta, without all the starch.


This thread actually reminds me that I Googled & bookmarked some light, summery quinoa salad dishes that I was going to try once the weather got hot. I forgot all about them. I'll have to dig them out to post here.

 

[DisneyCher]

I tried quinoa after I started hearing all the hype a year or two ago. I thought it tasted kind of earthy, like dirt. Not really my bag.

 

[Minnesota!]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE quinoa. We get the huge bags from Costco.

My fave way to eat it is to cook it up, throw in some frozen peas when it's almost done, then stir in pesto and chopped tomatoes when it is done.

So good.

 

[bumbershoot]

I tried quinoa after I started hearing all the hype a year or two ago. I thought it tasted kind of earthy, like dirt. Not really my bag.

That's definitely NOT how it's supposed to taste. Just so ya know.

 

[bumbershoot]

What is hominy?
tigercat

It's a corn product. It's "corn without the germ. It is served both whole or ground. Hominy is boiled until cooked and served as either a cereal or as a vegetable. Hominy may also be pressed into patties and fried. This dish is especially popular in the southern United States."

 

[my3sonsagn]

It's a corn product. It's "corn without the germ. It is served both whole or ground. Hominy is boiled until cooked and served as either a cereal or as a vegetable. Hominy may also be pressed into patties and fried. This dish is especially popular in the southern United States."

Ground hominy is better known as "grits."

I've been wanting to try quinoa, but I find some of the recipes a little intimidating.