Quinoa

Ruby_Pudding

Loadsabob wrote:

Thank you for your input on quinoa, I'm sorry you didn't get on with it. Turns out I love it though!

Mmmmm, I must say you are making me think very hard about trying it again though. Perhaps if I used the Marigold Stock it might be more palatable. I'm going to Sainsbury's at lunchtime so I'll pick up a box and give it another go - at least I can say I've tried really hard with it then

Badgergal

I agree with you Loadsabob. Picked up a 500g box from H&B but it was waaay more expensive than yours, £2.09, even though it was organic, yours was too...!

It is a good substitute for rice I think, I mixed it with the remains of the Mexican Beany Thing chilli-type stuff I had in the slow cooker and it was fine. Definitely a "different" texture. I simmered it for 10 mins and left it for another 10 mins to absorb the rest of the water, and that seemed to cook it perfectly. I need to find somewhere cheaper to buy it though... It does swell up loads.

Felt very virtuous after eating it! Though I can see the boyf rejecting it. Also gave some to the furries (so much left over because I didn't realise how much it swelled) and they loved it, healthy little things...

Loadsabob

Badgergal wrote:

Felt very virtuous after eating it! Though I can see the boyf rejecting it. Also gave some to the furries (so much left over because I didn't realise how much it swelled) and they loved it, healthy little things...

Hope you find somewhere cheaper, Badgergal, glad you enjoyed it! Bless the little furries! I used 2oz, thinking that I'd also have rice, and I think for a full serving of quinoa with chili etc, I'd use 3oz in future. That would be a generous serving, I think. Yes, I felt quite virtuous after eating it, too, thinking "Wow, a COMPLETE protein!!" - even without the brown rice and chickpeas I was eating it with! I should be bursting with health today!

Ruby Pudding, good on you for perseverence! Yes, get that Marigold stock thrown at it (only a little needed), have it with something tasty, and it's fab!

spaghetti_monster

yes, before you ask I am partly "yoghurt-weaver" or "lentil-polisher" as some friends would call me.........

but I have just done an inventory for the store-cupboard challenge and these are the 2 most challenging items in there!

Actually they are not there because of completely unplanned madness in a health-food shop but because I wanted to try out some recipes from this book I have - Dr Gillian's you are what you eat.

I actually really like quite a few things in this book - at first glance you think things are going to be pretty tasteless (due to the absence of salt, sugar, fat) but they are actually quite good (some of the soups are great). My aim in using the book was to get myself eating loads more veg - try some new ones, some new kinds of foods altogether.

Hence......the quinoa and hemp seeds.

I wonder if the problem with the quinoa is that I just don't like it. From the book I tried:

-quinoa mash (with cauliflower and onion). This was basically inedible, until I added masses of butter and cheese (Dr Gillian would not approve!:rotfl: )

-quinoa porridge. Again disgusting in my opinion. Couldn't think of any way to rescue this.

-added quinoa to a veggie stew. Just a bit weird, strange texture. I was wondering if I hadn't cooked it properly before but in this instance the stew was simmering away for ages.

As for the hemp seeds I tried adding them to my porridge mix and sprinkling raw on soup (a la Dr G) and in both cases was slightly worried for my teeth as they were quite hard (in an enamel crunching way!:eek: ).

I wonder if there is a way of softening them up????

Anyway, any suggestions gratefully recieved!:D

Flimber

I'd say use the Quinoa as a straight rice substitute, maybe with some finely chopped onion and garlic and season it slightly.

Mike.

spaghetti_monster

how long do you usually cook it for?? Instructions usually say it becomes translucent, but I don't think mine did completely even after quite a while....

aimme13

i have 2 packets of quinoa in my cupboard, same as you bought it to be healthy!!! tried it once as a rice substitute, was ok but nothing really to shout about.....trying to be really healthy from today as i need to loose a few pounds so was thinking to use the quinoa again, will let you know if i make anything exciting....hopefully someone will come up with some ideas

melancholly

i found the white quinoa ok, but the red stuff took sooooo long to cook - I wouldn't buy that again.
I used it instead of couscous, but it's definitely something to be eaten for health benefits rather than because it tastes fantastic!

Roz_V

Quinoa is lovely with a dollop of houmous (sp?) on a pitta bread...

Sharra

I put hemp seeds in my flapjacks, they have a brilliant crunch to them
I'm stumped too with quinoa - it just looks to weird when its cooks, but I so want to find a way to eat it.