Quinoa

I have had my first experience with quinoa this week at a Greek restaurant.
Does anyone have any 'special' recipes using this wonderful grain?
Trish

I like this one from Giada, which I've modified slightly by cutting back on the oil & increasing the lemon a bit:

2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (veggie stock would be fine too)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups quinoa

Dressing:
2-3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add the chicken stock, lemon juice and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.


For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and lots of pepper, to taste.


Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and serve.

Important note: I like dressings that are much more acidic than they are oily, so you may want to make adjustments to the ratio. The original recipes had several reviews that said it was too lemony, but I LOVE lemon! So I used 1 lemon for juice in the quinoa & another for the dressing. I don't add any salt and there's so much flavor I don't think it's necessary, but that's to taste anyway.

I make the quinoa in my rice cooker.

Goes GREAT with grilled chicken or fish, grilled veggies, and a bright sauvignon blanc for a cheerful summer dinner. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Mine is cook quinoa in chicken broth (2c broth, 1 c quinoq) until almost fully absorbed.
Mix with 1/2 ea. of a chopped red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper. 1 bunch of chopped green onion, or 1/2 of a small red onion. 1 can (drained) corn, 1 can rinsed black beans. Chopped cilantro to taste (1 used about 1/4 c).

Dressing: 4T oil, 3T fresh lime juice, 2t cumin, 2t red wine vinegar. Shake and toss on salad. Refrigerate to let flavors meld.

Enjoy!

IMO... Quinoa...

I view quinoa as a blank slate...you need to add flavors...

Here are a couple of recipes to give you an idea of the different ways to enjoy it-

[color:"blue"]Mediterranean Quinoa Salad[/color]

Ingredients:

1 C Quinoa
2 C Water
2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
4 tsp Mint, chopped fine
2 TB Parsley, chopped fine
1 C Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
1 c Cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 C Olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 C Figs, chopped
2/3 C Feta Cheese (optional)
1 TB Lucini Fig Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
1 TB Lucini Tuscan Basil E.V.O.O. (optional)

Preparation:

Bring water to boil. Add the quinoa and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes. Place quinoa in a bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl emulsify the Fig Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper. Add the mint and parsley and mix well.

Chop the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives and figs into small chunks. Add to the quinoa and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. If desired, chopped the feta into small chunks and stir into salad.

To Serve:
Spoon 1/2 cup of the salad onto a plate. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp of Fig Vinegar and 1 tsp of Tuscan Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

[color:"blue"]Moroccan Meat Ball Tagine with Quinoa[/color]

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 medium onion, grated
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg
1/3 cup matzo meal or plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5 onions, thinly sliced
1 quart water
1/2 cup raisins
8 soft pitted prunes
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 pounds pumpkin or Hubbard OR Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the meat in a 2 quart mixing bowl and add the onion, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, salt and pepper and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix the mixture well and set aside until ready to make the meatballs.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven and then add the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onions in the oil until golden brown.

3. Add the water to the onions and bring to a boil.

4. Shape the meat into walnut sized balls and drop into the simmering liquid. Cook the balls until firm.

5. Combine the raisins and the prunes in a small glass dish and cover with water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes and let sit while the meatballs cook.

6. When the meat is firm, transfer the meat to a 13 x 9 casserole.

7. Drain the fruits and add them to the casserole along with the almonds and pumpkin.

8. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the food and bake in a pre-heated 350F oven until the squash is tender and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.

1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter
1 cup quinoa

1. Bring liquid and butter/margerine to a boil in a 1 quart saucepan.

2. Add the quinoa and stir to combine. Cook covered for 15 minutes, over low heat or until all water is absorbed.

3. Fluff with a fork and place in the middle of a large serving platter with the meat and vegetables around it or serve from a bowl for all to take.

SO to sum them all up, use any recipe for rice or any other grain that you like & it'll come out great, plus it's be about 12x better for you! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

or couscous <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I love quinoa too! It IS awesome in any recipe where you would have used rice or couscous. I have a couple quinoa recipes on my blog too, if you'd like to have some more ideas. The ones above some pretty terrific too!
http://gotitcookit.blogspot.com/2011/03/quinoa-cauliflower-and-feta-salad.html
And...
http://gotitcookit.blogspot.com/2011/06/quinoa-salad-with-roasted-corn-green.html

Have fun, get inventive!

Put it in some wild rice and it sure didn't detract from the rice and the dish was great. Good sources of protein are always welcome. ......Think I'll get a Porterhouse out for Saturdays dinner!!!!!!! (one day to defrost and one day to dry)

I do a knock off of Earl's West Coast Prawn salad - mixed greens topped with julienned carrots, candied pecans and strawberry quarters - then top with about a half cup or so of quinoa (just cooked in water with a bit of salt), feta cheese and grilled prawns. I make a citrus vinaigrette to go over the greens using fresh lime juice, olive oil, a bit of ginger, honey and some dijon.

Dayum that sounds great but a lot of work. Invite me over? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't have any specific quinoa recipes, but you can use it anywhere you would use rice, as has been suggested. Also, if you have a rice cooker, you can cook the quinoa in your rice cooker exactly like you would rice. I always use chicken broth instead of water to add some flavor, and don't forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking to remove the bitter powdery coating.