All About QUINOA!
 

Quinoa is the seed of a plant in the same family as spinach and beets. As such, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on folks as grains do - and it's very versatile stuff! You can use it in many of the same ways you'd use rice.

My basics:

1 cup quinoa - washed in a strainer if the package doesn't say it's prewashed for you - this gets rid of the saponins on the seed coat
2 cups water

I put these ingredients into an 8 cup Pyrex batter bowl. I microwave on High power for 5 minutes, stir, then microwave on 50% power another 10 to 12 minutes - until the liquid is absorbed.

Per THAT recipe, this makes a nice hot breakfast "cereal" - add sweetener, chopped nuts, butter, cream, almond milk - whatever you like.

Most often though, I add a teaspoon of stock paste - either beef or chicken - to the mix before microwaving. We use the quinoa frequently as a side dish at dinnertime so this gives it a more robust flavor.

Give it a try - it doesn't LOOK like it's very low in carbs, however most who try it say it has little to no effect on their blood sugar readings!

And please, everyone who uses it or tries it - post your variations and experiments here!

Quinoa Pilaf

To the above basic recipe, with stock paste, add chopped onion, chopped peppers of your choice, Italian or Greek seasoning to taste (start with about a teaspoon), chopped garlic if you like, and chopped fresh or rehydrated dried mushrooms.

Confetti Quinoa

In addition to the regular "tan" quinoa - you can also buy red and black quinoa! I find it in bulk bins at Whole Foods. I often will add 1/4 cup each red and black to a cup of the tan, then increase the liquid to 3 cups total. It's very pretty and has a slightly nuttier flavor than just the plain quinoa.

Mexican Quinoa

To the cooked quinoa from the basic recipe, add salsa and/or taco seasoning to your taste. Also sliced green onion is good in this!

YUM! I love quinoa! Thanks for these recipes/ideas Charski!

Thanks Charski!!

Tonight we're having rotisseried turkey breast with quinoa and turkey gravy! I cut off the "unnecessary parts" from the turkey breast and they're simmering in a pot with celery, onions, garlic, salt, and Greek seasoning - will strain off and then reduce, and thicken it up with some Thicken Thin Not/Starch, add a little Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce and some heavy cream and let it simmer til thick. It's so nice to have something to eat LC gravy with again!

I've never known what the heck to do with quinoa so this will get me going! Thanks!

This is a weight watchers recipe it is really good!


Quinoa and Spinach


1 TBS Olive Oil
1 Large Onion minced
1 med garlic clove minced
1 cup Q uinoa rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
4 cups spinach baby leaves packed coarsely chopped
½ tsp table salt

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add quinoa to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until quinoa starts to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add broth, black pepper and red pepper flakes to skillet; bring to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes; stir in spinach. Cover skillet and cook until spinach and quinoa are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes; season with salt. Yields about ½ cup per serving.

I wonder how much is considered a serving?? 1/2 cup ??? I would love to try this sometime as long as it does cause carb problems.

I made basic tan quinoa, and then the sweet and sour meatballs from Linda Sue's site. Put the meatballs and sauce over the Quinoa. It was heavenly. I had it again at lunch, after refrigerating it, and the quinoa took over the taste of the sauce so good. It is very filling. Did not raise my bs levels at all.

I love me some quinoa!!!

My wife has done stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage leaves and quinoa instead of rice. I don't have the exact recipe, but you should be able to just substitute.

1/2 cup is what we use for a serving. It's very adequate!

I love quinoa! I like it for breakfast. I add a splash of milk, cinnamon, flax, Miracle Fiber, nuts, and berries.

Quinoa is a super-food; not only is it high in lysines, etc., but it's a complete protein. This is good news indeed in terms of low carbing....it's delicious stuff with a great texture.

I'm confused...I'm looking up the nutritional information and the carb count seems VERY high to me to be considered a low carb food...am I finding the wrong information or can someone explain to me why it would be ok on a low carb diet?

This is great! I have been wanting to try quinoa at home after having it at a restaurant a while back but I had no idea how to prepare it. Thanks! :)

For those close to goal or following maintenance, sure. I can't touch it. :blush:

If you're on Atkins and following the rungs properly you can add this back in - it's definitely NOT an induction food (nor is anything else not on his list! ;) ) but for me, in maintenance, and for DH, who is doing a low carb version of WW, it works great. 1/2 cup is a nice serving and satisfies that "I need something ELSE on my plate!" dilemma for us.

Also as mentioned above - many people have NO blood sugar problems when consuming it. I don't measure my blood sugars so I don't know personally, but what I DO know is that it causes no cravings or hunger an hour after consuming it (like oatmeal, even steelcut oats, do for me) and same for DH who is VERY carb sensitive, so for us it's a good choice. YMMV.

The purpose of this thread isn't to try to convince people they NEED to eat it - it's to give people who already DO eat it, a place to post recipes and ideas for this wonderful seed, as well as some informative feedback. Of course EVERYONE is welcome to post! ;)

As I posted on another thread my blood sugars and body love this stuff! I knew that it was high in carbs but since it does not raise my BG and I my weight is down then for me it is okay to use. The great thing about quinoa is that if I eat it at night my fasting numbers are so much better. I have dawn phenomenon and quinoa has solved that problem for me. I am just in the beginning stage of using quinoa so I have used very basic recipes up until now but I plan to start using it more and trying it in different recipes.

That's really interesting, Dixie. Obviously quinoa "does a body good" - at least, yours, mine, and DH's! :laugh:

Is that serving a 1/2 cup cooked?

Mmmmm we eat quinoa at least once a week at my house.

I toast 1 c in a dry pan until it browns a little and then add 1.5 c of stock or water. Bring it to a boil and then turn down to low for 15 mins and then turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 5 mins. Fluff it with a fork and stir in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a few thinly sliced green onions. Comes out perfect every time.

I LOVE my quinoa! I eat it with butter, a bit of "rooster sauce" (I love spicy foods), and a fried egg on top. Great sub for rice in asian dishes! :D

Yes, that's the measurement for the cooked quinoa.

I made a quinoa tabbouleh a few weeks back - diced fresh tomato, green onions, fresh cilantro, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic salt and some Cavender's Greek seasoning (love that stuff!) - and ate it cold. Man it was gooood!

aaaccck- that soapy taste
 

Tried this once, but did not know about rinsing, hoo boy, that bitter taste got to me, threw out the entire package. Very $pendy, too.

For those of you that eat this, does the rinsing process really work? I love bulgur wheat, but sounds like this grain is way superior to bulgur.

Rinsing DOES work - but better yet, if you have Costco, get the prewashed stuff from them! ;)

Bulgur is a grain so it's a no-go for me any more - they just make me go crazy with hunger a short while after eating them. Quinoa isn't a grain. I used to eat a LOT of bulgur but last time I tried it (after LCing for years) it didn't taste nearly so wonderful as I remembered! Just starchy-tasting to me.

Thought of another cold quinoa salad I made, adding about a cup of pico de gallo (fresh Salsa Mexicana, either make it or buy it at a Mexican grocery) and a drizzle of olive oil, a little minced garlic, and some lime juice. Easy and good!

This is from Wikipedia:

"Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited."

I love all of the things you can do with it. I just started using it, so keep the ideas coming. Thanks:cool: