Yes, I like quinoa. I especially like red quinoa. Did you rinse it before cooking? Rinsing removes a coating that can taste less than great.

LOADS of recipes on the Internet. You can substitute quinoa for rice in any of your favorite dishes. Serve a stir-fry over it. Add it to soup. I put cold quinoa in a main-dish salad sometimes.

Treat it like rice for what to do with it. I love it with chopped scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, ripe olives, red peppers and Italian dressing or a red wine vinagret.

Put it in soups or stews.

I love it. Rinsing is a must ; I use my mesh sieve for the job. It might be an acquired taste, especially for those who aren't used to earthy, grainy foods.

Use chicken broth as your liquid, and add onions and other veggies to the pot while cooking. I use a rice and grains blend called Royal Blend from Rice Select for nearly all of my rice dishes and I usually add quinoa right into the pot along with the rice.

I also love it as a cold side dish with green onions, other chopped raw veggies, lemon zest, and a vinaigrette dressing. Dee-licious!

Thanks for asking, pump_toad! I bought some too, and wasn't impressed.

Thanks everyone else for telling me to rinse it. I have the red. I will rinse it, and try it again.

Thanks!

Moni

I use the already rinsed. Would love some tried-and-true recipes. I do Ina Garten's orzo salad and use quinoa. But would like others besides ones with feta, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Quinoa is different from rice in that it does have a bit of flavor and it's more nutritious. (Rice doesn't have much nutritional value, it's mostly just carbohydrate calories). Quinoa is similar to various types of rice or other cooked grains because, in my view, it contributes little to a meal.

We never make rice at home or order it when eating out. Except when it comes as part of sushi.

I'd like to try quinoa. DH has and says that what he had tasted like dirt. We don't eat a lot of pasta, rice, etc. because of carbs. When we do, though, we eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta and steel cut oatmeal, which all have a different, stronger flavor than their ordinary counterparts, so we are used to that.

Any ideas why it might have tasted like dirt to DH?

This summer has been all about our introduction to this grain. My sister introduced us to it, she has Celiacs. We have become accustomed to trying substitutes when eating at her home. Here is what I have learned: Plain it is "earthy", and I was informed it isn't meant to be eaten alone. I do not own a mesh sieve so did not ever rinse, but found no reason to. When I added water to the pot, nothing floated to the top and the water remained clear. We find it good as a salad (diced peppers, onions and a vinaigrette.) I made it once as a substitute for rice and DD indignantly informed me it isn't meant to eat WITH protein--it is sort of a substitute for when you don't have much protein. Each time I made it I mixed the red and white.

Well, I did not wash it first so guess that could be the problem. Will try again with some of the suggested recipes.

My DD uses it as a hot cereal in the mornings, like oatmeal. She adds fruit and uses almond milk.

I use it in salads or eat it with steamed veggies.

I also use Quinoa pasta.

Definitely wash it first......even the pre-washed one. Also don't cook it for 20 minutes as some recipes suggest, it turns to mush very quickly. 14 minutes is good for us, it's firm with a bite. When they curl and turn clear, it's done.

We like quinoa better than couscous, and I use it in recipes that call for couscous.

It makes a great midwestern style salad, cook it and serve it with black beans, onions, corn, tomatoes, any kind of veggies you want, and mix it all together.

I use it as a form of tabbouleh, instead of barley or whatever the natural grain is. Cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini or whatever I have on hand.

Watermelon, thinly sliced onion, feta, quinoa and fresh basil is a wonderful side dish. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a lime juice as a dressing.

YogaLady, I can't believe that I've never thought to use it as a breakfast option! Yummy!

I find it has a sort of grassy taste with a hint of bitterness. Rinsing thouroughly helps the bitterness but not the grassiness. I find I don't like that grassy smell so it is hard for me to eat. I do like the texture though, so I will put it in soup etc. where the smell won't be noticeable.

Somebody told me that rinsing, drying, then toasting will help with the grassy smell. And it did. Except then it smelled like peanut butter which was not an improvement ROFL!

Cold with a good viniagrette seems to be the best way for me to eat it, if I am going to. With diced tomatoes, cucmber, etc.

Dances.

Jasdip, I never heard of watermelon served that way--it looks great! What's the thing on the left--a piece of onion? I thought at first it was a handle. LOL

The usual grain for tabbouleh is bulgar wheat, BTW. When my kids were growing up, they called it "vulgar bulgar."

LOL Alisande. I know, it does look like one, doesn't it!! It's a thin slice of onion. The salad looks a little grey because I only thought of taking a picture the next day, so the balsamic vinegar etc was sitting on it for quite a while. It IS fresh and refreshing and lively, we love it. We're going to have it again this weekend.

Thanks for the bulgar wheat, I couldn't remember what it was this morning. I was sure it wasn't barley, but had to say *something* heehee

I eat small amounts of it for breakfast too. Usually topped with tsp of coconut oil, almond butter, chopped raw nuts and either a couple raisins or few pieces of chopped banana. I also put it in soups in place of noodles and rice. Funny I rarely use it in salads or sides.

Just wondering how long it lasts in the fridge after cooking. I cooked way too much so have leftovers.

Treat it like you would rice, Pump.

I just learned that 2013 was declared "The International Year of the Quinoa" by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. They singled it out because of its high nutritive value (a source of complete protein, among other things) and the important role it plays in achieving food security worldwide. The organization called it a "super food."

The history of quinoa is interesting. I've forgotten all the facts, but it was sacred to the Incas, who called it the "Mother Grain."

I ate it last night, and made sure I had enough left over to try Jasdip's watermelon dish today.

I had some for breakfast. I liked it a lot better than oatmeal! Tossed in my usual walnuts, blueberries, and a drizzle of honey and almond milk. Used some coconut oil when I cooked it.

I put cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, quinoa & chicken broth in the crock pot and let it cook on low for about 4 hours. I use this as a main dish for lunch or serve with chicken for dinner.

I made tapenade last week & had some left over quinoa in the frig & mixed them together. I thought this was a good way to add protein to an appetizer.

My daughter makes it a lot. She uses it in salads, with black beans, corn and avocado. It is very good. I just bought some chips from Sam's Club that are made of quinoa, flax and chia, they are good!

Thanks, Jasdip! I didn't have feta, but I liked this.

{{!gwi}}