Quinoa

Ruby_Pudding

Bargain_Rzl wrote:

It's one of those things with an un-obvious pronunciation which pretentious people use to catch out the hoi polloi! I think it's supposed to be pronounced "keener" or something like that!)

I think it's pronounced keen - wah (at least that's what Dr Gillian says anyway )

Treacle_2-2

Quinoa – I love it, great in so many things, from stews & soups to salad, sprouted Quinoa is lovely too! I usually throw any veg with it and heaps of seeds - can’t get enough of it! Very healthy and light. I know some people are not keen, those that I know of are used to eating complete rubbish and have no taste buds left!

Ruby_Pudding

Treacle wrote:

I know some people are not keen, those that I know of are used to eating complete rubbish and have no taste buds left!

I don't eat complete rubbish though

I think you either like it or you don't. I also happen to detest parsnips and rhubarb but will eat the peel off oranges and am quite fond of raw onions so each to their own I guess

Badgergal

After reading this I think I will have to give it a go, as a veggie I worry about protein etc (hence my recent post on beans!). I didn't realised it had the essential fatty acids in it, and those are very important. I'll be in H&B on my way home from work...! I'll let you know what I think of it. As long as it is bland without being nasty tasting, I think I should cope as it is easy to make it take on the flavour of whatever I mix it with...

The Marigold veg stock that H&B sell is fab stuff, I think I'll be intro'ing mine to some Quinoa...

chickadee

I am a convert to the Marigold veg stock too. I ran out and had to use a veg stock cube recently. It was awful!

I have tried quinoa but just boiled it in plain water. I served it up with chopped cucumber, peppers, tomato, sweetcorn, etc as a salad for work. It wasn't horrible, just bland and I think I must have overcooked it because mine was a bit mushy. I put some soy sauce in to give it a bit more flavour. I would use it again but would use veggy stock next time.

competitionscafe

Badgergal wrote:

The Marigold veg stock that H&B sell is fab stuff

Agree with you both there, Marigold veg stock is a cupboard essential, it's great stuff (and recommended by both Delia and Nigel [Slater])

tr3mor

How much is this Quinoa stuff? Sounds like it makes a nice change from rice, is it available anywhere else except H&B?

chickadee

I bought mine in Sainsbury's. It is in their organic/veggie aisle. I have also seen it in Booth's if you have one near you.

Loadsabob

It is BRILLIANT stuff!!! I tried it last night. I poured boiling water over it and left it to soak for an hour for so, but to be honest, I'd skip this step in future. I brought it the the boil, and then probably simmered it for about 30 minutes (it may have needed less time, but I was waiting on other stuff to be ready. I read that you can tell when it's ready because it goes transparent and the little white "tails" of the grain separate. You'll see what I mean when you cook it. Well I THINK it was cooked properly, it wasn't hard in any way. I used about a third of a teaspoon of stock powder in the water (and didn't use much water, just kept topping it up as necessary). I use that Marigold bouillion powder, too, I think I have the vegan one at the moment (they do salt-free too, which is great as an option). Very tasty, and a tub of it lasts WAaaayy longer than a box of stock cubes used to, so I find it very economical.

I cooked some rice, too, in case I didn't like the Quinoa, and also because some people mentioned the quinoa was quite light. I had it with this tasty spicey chick-pea concoction I'd made and frozen.

I really love it, I can safely say I'll be buying more, and using it in all kinds of dishes. I think some added to a risotto would give variation and add to the texture (I already have seeds and nuts in mine, so the more the merrier!), and to plain brown rice to give a nutritional boost, or to salads where you may use cous cous (which I've never actually used!). And in soups (clear ones would be best I think)! And on its own, cooked in stock, I found it a gorgeous rice replacement.

There is no particular taste, very subtle, but I think it's the texture that's most distinctive (unless mine was under-cooked). It had a gorgeously satisfying crunch when you chewed it - not hard like undercooked rice, but like those tiny little grains were popping! I can understand how that may be an acquired taste, but I loved it.

I may become a quinoa evangelist!

Ooh - as for how much, I think a bag of organic in our health food shop was £1.35. I can't remember whether that was for 500g or 1kg, as I sent my boyfriend home with his half in the bag, and kept my half in a jar. We thought we'd share a pack to try...I hope he likes it too!

Loadsabob

Ruby_Pudding wrote:

I think you either like it or you don't. I also happen to detest parsnips and rhubarb but will eat the peel off oranges and am quite fond of raw onions so each to their own I guess

Eeeuw!!!!!!! I love how people's taste buds accept or reject certain things! I'd be the opposite of you on all those things! And I can't understand how people can eat celery, either. Thank you for your input on quinoa, I'm sorry you didn't get on with it. Turns out I love it though!