Reader’s Request: Fave Quinoa Uses
Morning! It’s almost the weekend! Kind of stoked 🙂
The chipotle black bean soup was actually a success, even though I went a little cray cray with the chiles.
[Recipe is in the Canyon Ranch Nourish cookbook. I added 2 chipotle chiles instead of 1/2 t, and also a whole head of garlic.. because if it doesn’t have garlic, I didn’t make it]
We enjoyed our soup with baked sweet potatoes atop salads, + a turkey and cheese omelet for the Pilot (he needs more food and protein than just soup and sweet potato). When I put his plate down, I said “Here is your most random dinner ever.” – he loved it, though. We sat on the patio outside, ate dinner and caught up on the day while it stormed. Romantic 🙂
This morning, I started off the day with a smoothie + waffle:
It made me sad for about 4 seconds that smoothies are on the way out, oats are on the way in. The thing that stopped me from being sad was the thought of pumpkin oats… I can’t wait to turn my skin orange from a pumpkin frenzy 😉
So I thought today would be a fun morning for a reader’s request post.
Here’s a snippet of an email I recently received:
Hi Gina,
I’ve been reading your blog for 3 years (!) and love it. I wanted to ask you for your favorite ways to make quinoa. I know it has a lot of protein and that it’s a great healthy option, but I just get so bored with plain quinoa.
I’m a quinoa fan. It took me a while to learn how to say it properly –I used to say “kwin oh wa” but it’s actually “keen wa”- but I love quinoa because it’s a complete protein, and an easy way to switch up from brown rice. Quinoa is actually a seed (not a grain) and related to leafy greens, like spinach and swiss chard.
A little bit about quinoa, from trusty Wiki:
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 member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.
Quinoa is:
-High in magnesium (which is great for relaxing blood vessels for heart health and migraine remedies)
-High in fiber, which has been shown to protect against breast cancer
-It contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein
Just like rice, quinoa can pretty boring. It has a unique texture (it can be slightly crunchy with a nutty taste) and just like rice, it’s all about how you cook it.
Quinoa can be prepared on the stovetop (just follow the directions on the box) or in the rice cooker.
I used our rice cooker for quinoa the other night and it was perfectly fluffy:
My #1 cooking tip for quinoa is to make sure you rinse it before cooking. Just pop it into a mesh sieve or strainer and run water over it, rinsing thoroughly. This is because it has a natural coating called saponin that repels insects– it can make it taste bitter if it isn’t rinsed off.
Here are my top 5 favorite uses for quinoa:
This is a great recipe for quinoa newbies. If you like Greek salad, you’ll like the recipe 🙂
2. Breakfast Quinoa
Cook quinoa and treat it like oats. I find it a little bit more filling, and love it with blueberries, cinnamon almond milk and a drizzle of honey.
3. Sweet and savory quinoa
After you prepare plain quinoa –try cooking it in broth instead of water for a flavor boost- try adding your favorite cheese, a type of chopped nut, a fruit or dried fruit, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. I made the above quinoa with dried cranberries, herbed goat cheese, walnuts, walnut oil, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.
4. Experiment with quinoa flour or flakes.
Quinoa flour (ground up quinoa- you can make your own in the Vitamix) or quinoa flakes are unique substitutions for flour or oats.
I love using quinoa flour in baked goods, or homemade pitas:
[It has a soft texture and mild flavor. It isn’t as grainy as brown rice flour]
and quinoa flakes for muffin tops 🙂
5. As a replacement for rice, to switch things up and boost the nutritional stats. For dinner the other night, I made my favorite fried rice using quinoa – it was pretty much amazing.
So tell me friends: What’s your favorite way to enjoy quinoa?
Off to do the work thang.
Bella is not 😉
She watches Kardashians all day.
See ya tonight!
xoxo
Gina
108 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I am soglad that you posted this, I have got some quinoa from Whole Foods a few weeks ago and never used it because I was looking for tasty and attractive recipes! Now I know what I am cooking 🙂
I love quinoa!! I often use it to make homemade veggie burgers, because it’s full of protein and so easy to cook!
I also love to cook it with some sauteed veggies, for a “pilaf” style dish. Delicious!
Some very creative ideas in there! Me likey!
My favorite way to eat quinoa is atop spinach with hummus and some mesquite!
Where would you find quinoa in the grocery store? I keep looking for it, but I don’t think I’m looking in the right places.
You can usually only find it in the health food section of a tradition health food store like Stop&Shop, Shaw’s, Big Y, etc. Look for the organic or gluten free pasta and rices and it should be there! I like to buy it is in the bulk bin section of Whole Foods because it tends to be cheaper than if you buy a box of it off the shelf! I hope that helps!
I usually find it in the rice/grain aisle of my regular grocery store, but it’s in the bulk section and grain section of Whole Foods, as well.
yep, or in the organic/healthy aisle!
I am definitely going to be trying Breakfast Quinoa, as much as I love oats, its nice to change it up sometimes!
I love quinoa and I love using it in stirfrys instead of rice for extra protein!!!!!
I love quinoa too! Sometimes I make a quick and simple quinoa dish by adding chickpeas and a sauce made of nutritional yeast, lemon juice, roasted red bell peppers, and a splash of water (or almond milk). And I add in roasted broccoli. Yum!
What are smoothies going out? Do you mean b/c of the weather getting cooler?
yep, because it’s cooling down over here! finally
Thanks for this list. I always want to try new things with quinoa but i’m never sure what. It’s nice to have this all in one place. 🙂
I’ve been into using quinoa as a substitute to make fried rice. I typically use carrots, zuchinni, and egg or two and a ton of siracha mixed in. A few peanuts sprinkled on top are pretty tasty too.
Hi Gina,
Long time reader, first time poster. Love your blog.
I have to tell you that your pictures of Bella are so adorable. Today’s made me laugh. Her expressions are priceless. I just want to give her hug. Please give her one for me.
Thanks for the quinoa recipes. I have tried it a couple of times but is always comes out mushy. Your recipes have inspired me to try it again.
My cats watch the shopping channel all day when we’re gone, I think they are shopaholics 😉
I made delish Quinoa burgers that were so good and so easy!! http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/love-my-quinoa-burger/
I like Greek Quinoa salads, too, but my absolute fave is to make a Taco Salad type salad with quinoa – with all the same things I would usually use in a taco salad, and use either salsa or an orange champagne vinegar + lime juice dressing with baked tortillas as a topping. So tasty, and the spice helps keep it from being boring. I take this to lunch a good bit.
Bella is so cute! And I love her life … watching Kardashians all day? Maybe I should leave the tv on for my pup?
Being new to quinoa, I currently use it as a rice replacement. My favorite is to substitute it in for red beans and rice (yes I’m from New Orleans and if you like heat and garlic as much as I think you do, I may just have to send you my mawmaw’s recipe ;))
Love this post and can’t wait to try out these new ways to use quinoa! Thanks!
Bella’s my kind of girl. I love those crazy Kardashians!
I am so jealous of Bella’s life — haha!
me too!
I recommend a cookbook called “Quinoa 365”–literally a recipe a day for a year. I received it as a gift from a friend who knows I’m a quinoa lover.
I’ve used it for a greek salad and the sweet/savory route, but still need to try it for breakfast!
Hahaha! Love those photos of Bella so much! What a cutie. She looks so relaxed and at ease now! <3 Yay!
I am also loving your keen-wa post 😉 I'm such a grain dunce and really appreciate guidance on how to cook it and incorporate it into meals…thank you! xyx
I love quinoa (with vegan pesto!), but I hate the washing part. The tiny bits fly everywhere, even if I use a strainer. Mesh sounds like a better idea!
Thanks for this post! I’d like to experiment cooking with this seed more often!
I think maybe we used to mis-pronounce quinoa the same way lol.
I love mine in stirfry and salads mostly, but it is great in homemade protein bars too!
Random dinners are the best!! I love Nourish, one of my fave cookbooks for sure. I want to make all of their soups this fall/winter.
I heart quinoa, I have to make sure when I cook with it for my husband, that it’s something phenominal because when he was younger his mom used to make a quinoa salad that wasn’t his favorite, and he associates it with that.
I LOVE this post. Mostly because I love quinoa! It’s so versatile – it can be made sweet, savory, spicy. It can be a main entree, a side dish. And I love carb-y things, so the fact that it is such a complex carb packed with so many nutrients and so much staying power just makes it all sorts of amazeballs.
My fave mix lately has been mixing cooked quinoa with black beans, avocado, and lentils, flavoring it and spicing it up, and topping it with some Chipotle sauce and plain greek yogurt. It’s like a fiesta in my mouth. Sombrero and all 🙂
XOXO
All these quinoa recipes are making me so hungry! One of my favourite uses for it is in cold salads, mixed with other grains and a bunch of veggies. A while ago I made a fruity amaranth and quinoa salad (http://wp.me/pSUCS-27H) – it was awesome and I ate it for days!
Thanks for the recipes. Do you eat the red version as well?
yes, love it!
I love quinoa! I enjoy it savory, but my favorite way to enjoy it is simple and sweet. Cook quinoa and add to it chopped apples, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and whatever other fruit is looking delish at the moment. Toss it all with a dressing of honey and orange juice. It’s like a fruit salad but with the added benefits of the protein. Perfect for the morning, a side at lunch, or even served warm for dessert.
We love cooking quinoa with half water, half light coconut milk and having it as a side with supper, so yummy!
What a good post—I saw some quinoa at Target yesterday and passed b/c I had no idea what to do with it, haha. Next time I’ll pick some up! I love the breakfast idea.
What brand waffle is that? My kids LOVE waffles but I cant find a brand that isnt full of nasty ingredients. I am considering buying a waffle iron, but I dont know if I would actually be able to replicate how good the frozen ones are.
My favorite quinoa is the Indian Shepard’s Pie in Mama Pea’s book because it seems like I have to mix it into a dish in order for my family to eat it. I dont know why, it seems so much like rice to me. Breakfast quinoa sounds delicious!
van’s gluten free
I have a recipe for pizza quinoa balls that are SUPER tasty 🙂 I’d like to try it in more baked goods, too!
YUM!
lol I love the last line that Bella watches Kardashians all day! That is pretty much how I would chose to spend my days if I could! I make my basset hound, Fred, watch Kardashians with me and he is not very amused by it.
Thank you for this! I just bought Quinoa for the first time today – so this is a great timing! =)
Just wanted to add my two cents. I have been reading your blog now for 6 months, and you have encouraged me to start a healthier, stronger lifestyle with my family. But I wanted to also tell you that my hubs is peruvian and i am cuban and we eat alot of alternative latin recipes here. One of the things that the peruvians eat a ton of is quinoa, and in our house we eat it at least twice a week. One of the favs here is, I cook the quinoa in organic chicken or veggie stock. then mix with roasted asparagus or kale and red bell pepper, and then dress with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Comes out awesome, and very filling. Love it!
Next I wanna try your recipe for the quinoa breakfast cereal looks good!
Bella’s got it alllll figured out! I’ve had quinoa once and it was with raisins and was really good. I think it had a balsamic dressing with it too. Yum!
The last picture of Bella is just perfect. She looks so SASSY!
she is so sassafras
I’m LOVING your homemade pita idea! I had no idea that you could make it with simply flour & water
I like quinoa but I HATE rinsing it!! Even in my tightest strainer some falls out…I started laying a coffee filter in it to combat that! Kinda complicated. I might cook some up just to make your greek salad though…Yuuum.
I <3 quinoa – and served it once as a side for a final presentation in my whole foods cooking class and everyone was in love with it and talked about it for days! It's simple – I cook it like normal and then add at least 2 TB of toasted sesame oil and a whole bunch of chopped scallions when it's finished and mix it up with a generous serving of salt. Delicious! I will have to try it as you suggested instead of oats one day. That sounds good. 🙂
I need to make me some quinoa as oatmeal replacement. It just looks so gooood.
I had no idea about the rinsing tip! I’m so glad you noted that. gross.
aaand goat cheese in my quinoa makes my heart so. happy.
but wait… when does goat cheese not do that for me? 😉
goat cheese makes my heart dance
i love eating quinoa!!!! ok i use it in place of brown rice when i make my vegetarian sushi! it’s so yummy! after cooking the quinoa, i add a lil bit of rice vinegar, sugar (can use stevia), lil bit of vegenaise to bind it, then start rollin onto the seaweed, add your fave veggies (i add cucumber, avocado, mushroom etc). yum yum!
I’m a quinoa lover, too. I usually just treat it like rice and top it with veggies and/or beans. My breakfast quinoa hasn’t been the best, but I plan to try again with pumpkin. I sometimes don’t rinse and instead toast it quickly. It has the same effect. I’m actually making quinoa for dinner tonight to top with barbecue black beans and garlicky mushrooms. Yum!
Speaking of pumpkin + oatmeal, almost every morning this week I’ve enjoyed a pumkpin breakfast cookie 🙂 It’s super yummy and I highly recommend you try it if you haven’t already!
I love the quinoa can be added to almost any salad I make for an extra fiber boost. I’m going to try your greek salad next week!
I recently saw a recipe for pineapple stirfry with quinoa and I can’t wait to try it!
I always buy a bag of TruRoots organic quinoa at Costco–it’s a bright green bag. It’s pre-rinsed which is so much easier. I love the stuff but have always just eaten it plain, cooked in half chicken broth/half water and squirt some soya sauce on there for a side dish. There was a post on Glamour’s health blog a while ago for quinoa cakes, like crab cakes, that I want to make. I wasn’t really a fan when I made breakfast quinoa, which is weird because I LOVE oatmeal and Wheetabix… I need to try the savory quinoa!
so, excuse the link (seriously… not trying to be like that!), but this is SO timely!
updated seven layer dip with noocho cheese! http://bit.ly/rtLCwD
it’s our new favorite thing 😀
Yum. I am always looking for new ways to include quinoa. I will have to try making homemade pita soon. Thank you.
I’m very intrigued by the breakfast quinoa. I need to get out of my oat rut. My favorite dish is something my mom used to make. A Mexican quinoa salad. It had quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and a spicy dressing. Its delicious! I need to get the recipe from her.