5 ways to enjoy Quinoa

5 ways to enjoy quinoa

Ever wonder how to use this magnificent grain?

Here are 5 scrumptious ways to delight in quinoa.

 Quinoa is a nutritious, gluten-free, pseudo-grain that is delicious. It’s also high in protein. It comes in several different colors — white, red and black — but the most common form is white. Always look for organic and NON-GMO labeling.

When I was first introduced to a new food I wondered what do I do with it? I looked on the internet and did a bunch of research.  Finding it to be very nutritious I had to try it. Here are a few recipes that not only taste great but are good for you. I’d love fellow quinoa lovers to share their ideas and recipes as well!

1. Basic quinoa: First, how to make a good basic quinoa is important. You wash the coating off the quinoa because it is bitter. Soaking it for a period helps with removing the bitterness from quinoa.

Basic Quinoa (Soaked)

2 cups of quinoa
2 cups of warm filtered water
2 tablespoons of yogurt, or whey, or  raw apple cider (live culture or acidic property)

2 cups of filtered water
1 teaspoon unrefined salt

1. In a glass or non-reactive bowl, place the quinoa, first two cups of warm filtered water and 2 tablespoons of the live cultured, acidic addition. Cover and place in a warm place for 12-24 hours. 

2.When you are ready to cook the quinoa, strain the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse well, making sure the water runs clear.  thoroughly rinse, otherwise it can be bitter.

 Add to a medium pot with the last two cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to low, cover, and cook for about 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

I enjoy quinoa with a dab of pastured, organic butter, and sometimes soy sauce too. It’s delicious just like that. You can also serve it instead of rice with a stir-fry.

2. IN SOUPS: Quinoa is excellent in soups. It adds a lot of flavor. Substitute quinoa instead for a tasty treat. Quinoa and chicken have a real affinity for each other. 

 Chicken and Quinoa

1 cup quinoa (soaked overnight in water, than drained and rinsed in a strainer. If you don’t soak your grains still rinse to remove a bitter substance from the grain)
2 cups of organic chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cup of white wine (amount depending on your taste and wine used)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
4-6 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 celery, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 chicken breasts or thighs
3 Tablespoons of butter (opt, for added richness and flavor)

Throw all the ingredients in a pot, cook for 4 hours. Shred the chicken when done, and stir into the stew and you are done! How simple is that?

3.  IN COLD SALADS: Quinoa is delightful hot, it’s also delicious cold. I love it in salads. Any that is leftover sprinkle it generously over your green salad the next day. If you wanted a cold quinoa salad, I really love it with Mexican flavors.

  

Mexican Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced or put through the garlic press.
1 teaspoon sea salt

half a bunch of cilantro, washed and finely minced.
5 cups of cooked quinoa (I used red, but white would be very nice too)
Corn cut off of 2 corn on the cobs,
1 bunch of spinach

1-Mix the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cumin, garlic and salt together in a small jar.

2- Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.

2-Wash the spinach and cut the steams off.  Steam with a lid and about 1/4 cup of water. Steam until the spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and drain. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out any extra liquid from the spinach leaves and chop into small pieces with a knife and add to the bowl with quinoa.

3- Add olive oil to the pan , and heat until hot. Add the corn,  cook until the kernels are just cooked. Add to quinoa.

4- Add chopped cilantro,  stir to combine. Lightly toss with dressing to coast everything,  When ready to serve, toss with some more dressing and salt to taste. Enjoy!

4. AS A STUFFING: Like rice, quinoa can be used to make delicious stuffing. You could certainly use it to stuff a roasted chicken or turkey, but you can also make a stuffing side dish that’s equally delicious.

     

5. QUINOA CAKES OR PATTIES: You can form quinoa into patties and pan-fry them or bake them in the oven..

Baked Quinoa Patties

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature*
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 cup finely chopped kale
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (toasted) cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup GLUTEN FREE bread crumbs, plus more if needed
water or a bit of flour, if needed
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter
Preheat oven to 400F / 200C.
Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, dill, kale, onion, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.
Add the baking powder and bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture
Gently stir in the feta.
At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch thick patties. go with the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, you can always add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. If too dry, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. Oil a baking sheet, and arrange the patties. Bake patties for 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes.
Enjoy hot, or allow too cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
**This can be done in a skillet. - Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until the patties are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties.

Add your recipe in the comment area. What ways do you like to use quinoa?