recipe for quinoa?

Question

i like to eat quinoa for my health being so high in protien and alcalizing. the problem is it has such a stong taste. i soak it over night and rince it well. i also keep it in the freezer to keep it from going bad. but still its a little strong any suggestions on spices i could add to it or other methods of preping it to soften the bitterness?

Answer 1

I love quinoa! my favorite recipy that often surprised family and friends is as follows:

- frie the quinoa (the dry seeds) in a frying pan without any oil.
- before they burn, throw them in boiling water, untill allmost done. (10 or 15 min) throw the boiling water away.
- put 3/4 part of the quinoa in an oven dish, put big chunks of Brie or Camembert cheese, in between, and devide a nice layer of "pesto genovese". (if you do not dislike fruit in warm food, then also put EITHER some banana OR some pieces of ripe juicy pear in the dish)
- cover with the rest of the quinoa.
- with a teaspoon add honey on top; big drops, that will melt down when put in the oven. (amount to taste, i use a lot, like five tablespoons for 7 people)
- don't forget some pepper and salt by the way (cook the quinoa in lightly salted water, put pepper on top after the honey. Bit of cinnamon if you want to be special).
- put the dish in the oven for about 20 min.

this one should really make you love quinoa. I have never experienced bitterness, when i prepare it like this. don't know if the quinoa sold in Holland is different

Bon appetit!
Dr. Aram

Answer 2

Make a pilaf. I like to cook the grain as per normal (or you can use veggie stock instead of water). While it cooks I chop up some rehydrated sundried tomatoes (I hate oil-packed), toast some pinenuts, tear up fresh mint and parsley and crumble feta cheese (skip that if you're vegan). I mix everything together and pour a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and tumeric over the whole thing like salad dressing (but I only use a small amount). You can turn it into an entire meal by adding pieces of grilled / roasted eggplant and red pepper as well.

Answer 3

Pilaf or burritos, all those spices are very strong and will help with the bitterness. I eat it plain with cinnamon and a little flax seed oil, and some agave nectar. I have gotten use to eating it. Sometimes alkalizing foods are something your body is not use to and it will take time to train your taste buds. Yes, train your taste buds. It took me several months to get the taste of quinoa to taste pleasant enough. Still having problems with wheatgrass though. I follow it with a lemonade chaser :-).

Answer 4

Curried Quinoa Recipe

Serves Six to Eight
1 Cup Quinoa
1½ Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
½ Onion Diced (about 4 or 5 ozs.)
1 Tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger Root
½ Fresh Green Chile (Finely Chopped)
1 Heaping Tsp. Turmeric
1 Heaping Tsp. Coriander
¼ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp. Salt
1¾ Cups Water
½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Peas

Rinse quinoa with cold water. Use a fine mesh filter or coffee filter. If you're a klutz like me use the fine mesh filter or a lot of quinoa is going to wind up in the sink!

Quinoa is coated with a natural substance called saponin that protects the grain by repelling insects and birds. Rinsing the quinoa is important to avoid a raw or bitter taste. You can tell if there is saponin by the production of a soapy looking "suds" when the seeds are swished in water.

Good news! If you are using Ancient Harvest Quinoa you can skip this step. It's already rinsed!

Place oil and diced onions in a heavy saucepan. Saute the onions on medium high heat for four to five minutes.

Add the ginger root, chile, and quinoa. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
A fine, white spiral appears around the grain as it cooks.

Stir in the turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.

Add the water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in peas. Cover and cook for four or five minutes or until peas are tender and all the water has been absorbed.

Fluff with a fork before serving.


Optional Ingredient for Curried Quinoa: 1 to 2 Tbsp. Chopped Cilantro. Exercise caution on this ingredient. There are two kinds of people - those who love cilantro and those who hate cilantro. Nobody is in between. So, if you know you like cilantro go for it! If you don't know whether you like it add it at your own risk. You might break some leaves off of fresh cilantro in the grocery store. Crush it between your thumb and finger and smell it. If it smells good you're probably a cilantro lover. If it smells like old gym shoes you probably hate it. My advice? Make the curried quinoa without it and see how you like it. If you do wind up adding cilantro, you add it at the very end when you're fluffing the quinoa with a fork.
Curried Quinoa serving suggestion: This dish is great with pork tenderloin and peach salsa. It's also great with fish.



Quinoa Pilaf with Peas & Almonds

1-1/2 cups raw quinoa
3 to 4 scallions, white & green parts, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt-free herb & spice seasoning blend
1-1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons butter or soy margarine
salt, to taste
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted if desired

Makes 6 (1/2 cup) Servings
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Rinse the quinoa well in a fine sieve. Stir the quinoa into the boiling water along with the scallions and seasoning blend. Cover and cook at a gentle but steady simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and butter, then season to taste with salt. Transfer the pilaf to a serving bowl and scatter the almonds over the top.

Per Serving:
322 Cal; 12 g Total Fat; 13 g Carb; 13 mg Cholesterol; 8 mg Sodium; 11 g Protein

Exchanges:
1 Bread/Starch; 2 Fat

*About Quinoa

Probably the most nutritious grain available, quinoa is considered a complete protein as it supplies all eight essential amino acids as well as other essential nutrients. Quinoa is also lower in carbohydrates than most other grains.

The small bead-like grains cook in half the time of regular rice. The grains expand to 4 times their original volume when cooked. Use quinoa as a more nutritious alternative to rice or couscous or add to soups, side dishes, main dishes, casseroles or anywhere else you'd use grains like rice or couscous.