Thread: Quinoa?

Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:

>After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I didn't
>buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for without
>success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I have looked.

>How is this stuff used, in general?

It is a pseudograin with complete protein. Therefore, you
could use it for a main course, from a nutritional standpoint.
Whether this would fly from an aesthetic standpoint depends
upon the individual.

It tends to throw off a thin outer skin when it cooks, leading
to a sort of disorganized appearance compared to something
nice and neat like rice. This does not affect its taste,
and it is neither necessary nor practical to separate out
the little skins.

I do not end up using it as much as I do either rice
or couscous.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
> Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I
>> didn't buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for
>> without success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I
>> have looked.
>
>> How is this stuff used, in general?
>
> It is a pseudograin with complete protein. Therefore, you
> could use it for a main course, from a nutritional standpoint.
> Whether this would fly from an aesthetic standpoint depends
> upon the individual.
>
> It tends to throw off a thin outer skin when it cooks, leading
> to a sort of disorganized appearance compared to something
> nice and neat like rice. This does not affect its taste,
> and it is neither necessary nor practical to separate out
> the little skins.
>
> I do not end up using it as much as I do either rice
> or couscous.

Thanks for all that info, very helpful. I'll find some recipe that
looks good and give it a try. People say they like it, I just want
to see what it's like.

nancy

"Nancy Young" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:qWkUl.319746$[email protected]..
> Steve Pope wrote:
>> Nancy Young <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I
>>> didn't buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for
>>> without success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I
>>> have looked.
>>
>>> How is this stuff used, in general?
>>
>> It is a pseudograin with complete protein. Therefore, you
>> could use it for a main course, from a nutritional standpoint.
>> Whether this would fly from an aesthetic standpoint depends
>> upon the individual.
>>
>> It tends to throw off a thin outer skin when it cooks, leading
>> to a sort of disorganized appearance compared to something
>> nice and neat like rice. This does not affect its taste,
>> and it is neither necessary nor practical to separate out
>> the little skins.
>>
>> I do not end up using it as much as I do either rice
>> or couscous.
>
> Thanks for all that info, very helpful. I'll find some recipe that
> looks good and give it a try. People say they like it, I just want
> to see what it's like.
>
>
Quinoa tastes okay but I don't like the texture, too gritty, like eating
sand. I don't care for couscous either, I'd rather pastina. I much prefer
kasha (buckwheat groats), and it's even more nutritious quinoa. I could eat
kasha every day, kasha varnishkas, meat loaf, creamed spinach, and gravy...
then all I need is something with vitamin C to drink... orange juice and
vodka works.

brooklyn1 <[email protected]> wrote:

> I don't care for couscous either, I'd rather pastina.

Pastina is something I've been meaning to try.

Steve

On Sat, 30 May 2009 21:03:03 -0400, "Nancy Young"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I didn't
>buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for without
>success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I have looked.
>
>How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
>with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
>I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
>sort of the usual way?
>
>Thanks. nancy


Here is one recipe for it. You can also make vegetable salads with
it.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Minted Quinoa Fruit Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Quinoa -- rinsed thoroughly
1/3 Cup Mint Leaves -- chopped
1/4 Cup Yogurt, Skim Milk -- Artificially sweetened
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
1 1/2 Cups Strawberries, Sliced
2 Kiwi Fruits
1 Can Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup -- drained

In a medium saucepan, bring the salt and 2 cups of water to a boil:
add the quinoa. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the quinoa
is translucent, about 15 minutes.

In mini food processor or blender, combine the mint, yogurt and orange
juice; Puree.

Set aside 6 strawberry slices and 3 kiwi slices for garnish. In a
large serving bowl, combine the remaining strawberries, the remaining
kiwi and the orange sections. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce; toss to
coat. Add the quinoa: toss gently to combine. Garnish with the
reserved fruit. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled, 1 -2 hours.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 170 Calories; 2g Fat (10.0%
calories from fat); 5g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber;
trace Cholesterol; 108mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0
Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

In article <jHkUl.319745$[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I didn't
> buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for without
> success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I have looked.
>
> How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
> with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
> I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
> sort of the usual way?
>
> Thanks. nancy
>
You can use it like Couscous or Bulgar wheat or rice for grain
salads/tabula, adding flavourings. I like it, or I have heard of people
making Quinoa porridge as a healthy breakfast but I've never tried that.

Third option, cooked in stock as side instead rice, or added to soups,
like Pearl Barley.
--
Carl Robson
Get cashback on your purchases
Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm
Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553

The Cook wrote:
> On Sat, 30 May 2009 21:03:03 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> <[email protected]> wrote:

>> How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
>> with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
>> I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
>> sort of the usual way?

> Here is one recipe for it. You can also make vegetable salads with
> it.

Oh, that looks really good. I've saved it. Thanks very much.

nancy

On Sat, 30 May 2009 21:03:03 -0400, "Nancy Young"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I didn't
>buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for without
>success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I have looked.
>
>How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
>with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
>I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
>sort of the usual way?
>
>Thanks. nancy

Hello Nancy, I've used it in place of rice when we have an oriental
dish. Quinoa doesn't spike my blood sugar the way that rice does.
Unfortunately it is not a great substitute, it's just sorta okay.

Best -- Terry

On Sun, 31 May 2009 12:31:13 -0500, Terry <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Hello Nancy, I've used it in place of rice when we have an oriental
>dish. Quinoa doesn't spike my blood sugar the way that rice does.
>Unfortunately it is not a great substitute, it's just sorta okay.

You can use quinoa instead of a side of rice with Mexican dishes too.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf said...

> On Sun, 31 May 2009 12:31:13 -0500, Terry <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>Hello Nancy, I've used it in place of rice when we have an oriental
>>dish. Quinoa doesn't spike my blood sugar the way that rice does.
>>Unfortunately it is not a great substitute, it's just sorta okay.
>
> You can use quinoa instead of a side of rice with Mexican dishes too.


Right.

Rinse it off first for awhile to rinse off any remaining "poison" off the
skin coating.

I've made it but I flubbed and it turned out undercooked and too "nutty-
chewy". Haven't tried since.

Andy

Terry wrote:
> On Sat, 30 May 2009 21:03:03 -0400, "Nancy Young"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> After all this time, I finally found my way to a Trader Joe's. I
>> didn't buy much, but I did find something I've been looking for
>> without success, quinoa. Okay, I wasn't looking very hard, but I
>> have looked.
>>
>> How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
>> with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
>> I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
>> sort of the usual way?

> Hello Nancy, I've used it in place of rice when we have an oriental
> dish. Quinoa doesn't spike my blood sugar the way that rice does.
> Unfortunately it is not a great substitute, it's just sorta okay.

(laugh) I must have read wrong when I saw that people liked it.
Thank you.

nancy

Elder wrote:
> In article <jHkUl.319745$[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...

>> How is this stuff used, in general? I'm not ready to make anything
>> with it, but when I do, would it be served as a side dish like rice?
>> I'm sure you can do a million things with it, but what would be
>> sort of the usual way?

> You can use it like Couscous or Bulgar wheat or rice for grain
> salads/tabula, adding flavourings. I like it, or I have heard of
> people making Quinoa porridge as a healthy breakfast but I've never
> tried that.
>
> Third option, cooked in stock as side instead rice, or added to soups,
> like Pearl Barley.

It was a surprise for me this evening to find quinoa cooking in
chicken stock on the stove. It wasn't bad, I put some butter on mine.
Interesting texture. Notice I'm not raving about how wonderful it
is! Heh. It's okay.

Thanks for the ideas.

nancy