<p>Bought quinoa for the first time. Curious to see how we like it. Maybe not the best idea, but bought the large bag of it at Costco for $7.99 so, umm, have a lot to use!</p>
<p>Looking for simple ways to use it. Hot or cold (my D’s friend makes some kind salad with quinoa, lemon, cucumber and feta - sounds yum!)</p>
<p>Also, recommendations for cooking it in the rice cooker and whether you use water or broth or whatever!!!</p>
<p>It’s good in either water or broth. We use a little less liquid than suggested for cooking in a pan but I suppose a rice cooker should handle that on its own. </p>
<p>It’s somewhat nutty in flavor but delicate so it can be overwhelmed. I don’t stir fry it like rice but cook vegetables and then add the quinoa so it heats and incorporates. It takes lemon hot or cold.</p>
<p>Well I made a,little in the rice cooker to try it - used water and salted it. Put a little butter on at the end. I liked it! Kind of expected it to swell more - should it, or not? </p>
<p>It was nutty and a tad of a “chewy” texture - is that typical?</p>
<p>REALLY simple and really good:
and even better made the day before and chilled.</p>
<pre><code>1 1/4 cups quinoa
3 yellow and/or orange bell peppers, quartered
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
</code></pre>
<p>Wash quinoa in at least 5 changes of water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off water, until water runs clear. Drain in a large sieve. Add quinoa to a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook 10 minutes. Drain in sieve and rinse under cold water.</p>
<p>Set sieve over a saucepan with 1 1/2 inches boiling water (sieve should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes. (Check water level in pan occasionally, adding water if necessary.) Spread quinoa on a baking sheet to cool.</p>
<p>While quinoa is cooking, grill bell peppers on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until slightly softened, about 4 minutes on each side. Cut bell peppers crosswise into thin strips.</p>
<p>Whisk together oil, lime juice, soy sauce, and cumin in a large bowl and stir in quinoa, bell peppers, cilantro, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste.</p>
<p>Sometimes I add in shelled and cooked edamame.</p>
<p>you might try adding a tablespoon or two more water next time - it shouldn’t feel undercooked. You can put too much water in and it gets mushy. It takes a few tries in the rice cooker to get it tight, but I agree with you - quinoa is delish!</p>
<p>I had a cold salad of quinoa, fresh corn, feta, edamame the other day. I will look for the recipe. BTW, this was the white or yellow quinoa. There is also red, and maybe some others.</p>
<p>Here it is; or something similar
<a href=“http://www.nuggetmarket.com/media/documents/NuggetFieldGuideEdition22011.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nuggetmarket.com/media/documents/NuggetFieldGuideEdition22011.pdf</a>
“Quinoa with Corn and Cherry
Tomatoes: If you have never tried
quinoa, you need to! This salad has
grilled corn, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes
and is dressed with basil vinaigrette.
We boil the quinoa in a corn stock
made from the corncobs, so even
though this salad is vegan, it is packed
with flavor. It tastes like summer on a
plate!”</p>
<p>I cook it just like I cook rice and use it in place of rice or even pasta. I use the recipes that I already have, but substitute those rice and pasta carbs. We like it hot or cold. Last weekend, I made a mac-n-cheese version. Feel much healthier with those changes. Hope you enjoy!</p>
<p>might i reccomend:</p>
<p>[Ancient</a> Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta Gluten Free, Elbows, 8-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Harvest-Quinoa-Organic-8-Ounce/dp/B000LKTBDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347575404&sr=8-1&keywords=quinoa+pasta]Ancient”>http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Harvest-Quinoa-Organic-8-Ounce/dp/B000LKTBDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347575404&sr=8-1&keywords=quinoa+pasta)
:3</p>
<p>The most simple way I serve is just as I would use rice. I sometimes make it with water and other times with chicken broth. One easy meal is to serve it with any stir fry recipe or as a base under teriyaki chicken. I don’t use a rice cooker since it cooks so quickly on the stovetop.
I also use it in any recipe that calls for couscous or orzo.
The greek feta is a favorite- I make a greek salad and toss it with quinoa. A lemon olive oil dressing with cucumbers, peppers, feta, kalamata olives and tomatoes. I don’t follow any specific amounts.
I also make a salad of corn, black beans, tomato, cilantro, green onions mixed with quinoa.
Serve it with sauteed spinach or kale.
I found that at first my family missed the rice but even my picky eater has adjusted to the quinoa. The smell takes some getting used to.
My older D eats it with raisins and honey like a hot cereal for breakfast.
A super simple and fast recipe for a greek style salad is to mix the quinoa with the olive tapenade they sell at Costco and add some feta cheese.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m out of step (THERE’S a shock!) but I just can’t like quinoa. I’ve tried, but even trained chefs can’t make it appealing to me.</p>
<p>My favorite quinoa recipe. I actually add a can of diced tomatoes (spicy). I drain the tomatoes and use the juice in the recipe and just subtract some of the vegetable broth. Add the tomatoes at the end with the corn and black beans. Yum!</p>
<p>[Quinoa</a> and Black Beans Recipe - Allrecipes.com](<a href=“http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=quinoa%20and%20black%20beans&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page]Quinoa”>http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=quinoa%20and%20black%20beans&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page)</p>
<p>I’m also not a big fan–not sure what the big attraction is, or why I’d ever want to use it in place of other carbs. It has a pretty distinct flavor and texture, and I don’t think it would co-exist well with the foods I normally pair with rice or pasta. Seems like a fad that will pass. (I did use it as a starch dish on Passover–it’s permitted since it is not technically a grain–but nobody wanted it, too many other more appealing dishes on the table.)</p>
<p>I use quinoa just as I use rice. I especially like it under curry or stir-fried veggies or in a burrito.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s a complete protein that’s high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and other trace minerals, and lower carb than rice. Brown rice has many of those nutrients, but less than half of the amount than quinoa does for most of them, and white rice is much less.</p>
<p>I eat both white and brown rice as well, but quinoa’s a healthy way to mix it up.</p>
<p>The attraction is that it’s a whole grain. If you are trying to eat whole grains and aren’t a huge fan of brown rice or millet or wheat products, quinoa can be quite a blessing. </p>
<p>Quinoa is high in protein too.</p>
<p>I cook it with a little more water than most recipes call for; to me it is quite appealing when it is soft.</p>
<p>In my house, most important for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, non red meat eaters, people who don’t eat things with faces,etc…Me? I’ll have foie gras, please…</p>
<p>“How do rice, pasta, quinoa, couscous, etc., compare in terms of nutritional value?”</p>
<p>Can’t vouch for the source…
<a href=“http://www.quora.com/How-do-rice-pasta-quinoa-couscous-etc.-compare-in-terms-of-nutritional-value[/url]”>http://www.quora.com/How-do-rice-pasta-quinoa-couscous-etc.-compare-in-terms-of-nutritional-value</a></p>
<p>Quinoa: 180 calories, 3.5g fat, 11g fiber, 7g protein, 29g carbs
White Rice: 171 calories, 0.3g fat, 1.3g fiber, 3.1g protein, 39g carbs
Plain Pasta: 97 calories, 0.4g fat, 0.8g fiber, 3.4g protein, 20g carbs
Brown Rice: 171 calories, 1.4g fat, 1.6g fiber, 3.7g protein, 36g carbs
Cous Cous: 163 calories, 0.3g fat, 2.2g fiber, 5.5g protein, 34g carbs
Millet: 189 calories, 2.1g fat, 4.2g fiber, 5.5g protein, 36g carbs</p>
<p>Oh, and foie gras</p>
<p><a href=“Order Foie Gras and Pate Online ▶️ Gourmet Food Store”>Gourmet Food Store - Cheese, Truffles, Smoked Salmon, Foie Gras, Italian Pate, Specialty Meats, Chocolates;
<p>I like red quinoa better than the lighter quinoa - I don’t know if it really tastes different, but I find it more appealing. </p>
<p>My favorite recipe is one that uses a fresh salsa from the grocery store that has less tomato and juice than most jarred varieties and then mix in a little juicier salsa at the end. </p>
<p>I use a cuke, a can of low sodium black beans (drained), lime juice, cilantro, chives, fresh cilantro (chopped), red pepper (chopped), red onion (chopped).</p>
<p>A lot of my cooking consists of looking in the refrigerator and seeing what looks good and tossing it in a bowl.</p>
<p>The first time I made quinoa, we were not crazy about it. I later read somewhere not to give up on it without trying the red variety. They were right, the red is a little different and crunchier. Our family likes it much better.</p>
<p>Red? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that! Does it actually look red???</p>
<p>Yes, sort of a reddish brown - great friend I am, telling you after you bought the big bag of white at Costco!!</p>
<p>It was a spur of the moment buy - probably shouldn’t have done it! Now I’m gonna HAVE TO love the stuff!!! :)</p>