I needed to find a non-rice substitute to use to sop up sauce in some chicken recipes I have been using and Quinoa seemed to work well. I just cooked it at a slow boil plain with about 133% by volume of water for 30 minutes or so after soaking it for 30 minutes in cold water, then added some sauteed mushrooms and lemon zest. Fluffed up nicely. The recipes I found were mostly either boring or forced attempts to do something that doesn’t work. Anyone have any interesting ideas.
well, I’d cook it for less time and in some stock be it chicken or veggie stock
I hate the stuff and wouldn’t feed it to goldfish. Can you use farro instead? FAR more nutty, textural and interesting.
Just treat it like rice but remember it has great protein content. Quinoa is a fascinating grain both anthropologically, socio-economically, and nutritionally; seriously look it up. I encourage some reading on it as the recent surge in imports has had a very negative impact on native growers. I don’t discourage consumption in the least, rather encourage it as a diet modifier, but respect it.
Cook it in chicken stock for more flavor? I might try to add frozen peas at the end.
Paul
Love the stuff! I’ve never presoaked it and haven’t noticed any adverse outcome. I’ve generally just cooked it “as is” and used it in place of rice. But have found some diversity thru various varieties (or is that varietals 
), and particularly like the red, which seems to have a bit more texture and nuttiness.
Love the flavor and texture
I eat quinoa all of the time.
As mentioned, you really need to cook it in chicken stock (or some other flavored stock). Sometimes, I just add tomato paste to the cooking liquid.
A 1/2 cup of quinoa cooked in 1 cup of stock will cook in 12-15 minutes. Get the stock and quinoa up to a rolling boil, drop down to a simmer, cover and wait. Once it’s cooked (liquid has evaporated), take it off of the stove, fluff with a fork and let it sit for 5 minutes on a cool surface. Finish with S&P, olive oil and a touch of vinegar (red wine, balsamic, apple cider).
Quinoa works great as a salad. Combine cooked quinoa with cherry tomatoes, feta, grilled zuchinni, grilled red bell pepper and basil.
I’ve also made a creamy version by cooking it like a risotto.
Various suggestions in this older topic
I posted the recipe we use for a Quinoa - spinach - cheese casserole. Have made that many times as a vegetarian main dish or side dish. It’s good and our veg. friends love it.
Added bonus is that because it is a grass, it is technically Kosher for Passover for some Jews! We’ll be eating a lot of quinoa next week.
It’s Passover at Poppy & Aaron’s place. Grass for everyone! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Bruce
Corn, wheat, barely, rice, millet, oats, rye, spelt and quinoa are all seeds from grasses.
OK, here’s the more technical explanation of how quinoa can be Kosher:
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/498035/jewish/Is-Quinoa-Kosher-for-Passover.htm
How about cous-cous or (if you like a stronger taste) kasha? Both soak up sauce fairly well…
As Poppy pointed out, Quinoa is kosher for Passover and my need to find a rice substitute was to go with a Sephardic Moroccan Chicken Tagine for 100 people at a Passover Seder where Eastern European Jews will not eat rice. Cous-cous and Kasha both flunk that test.
Jay,
I like to make quinoa in chicken stock. I add toasted almonds, thinly sliced scallions, and depending on the day, golden raisins. Yummy.