# Quinoa questions



## AmberLBowers (Nov 28, 2008)

I am in a constant search for different starches for dinner besides the usual pasta, rice, potatoes over and over. We love couscous so I thought quinoa would be a logical next step. Big mistake. First, I couldn't tell if it was done. after following the directions it still was opaque in the middle and firm. That's fine if that is the way it is supposed to be, the main problem is the taste. The only way I can describe the smell and taste as VERY okra-ey and pepper-ey (not in a good way) with a lingering bitter after taste. Even when made into tabbouleh (a cold middle eastern salad that we love with couscous, with strong flavors of herbs,feta, and balsamic) it was still gross. Any ideas or suggestions? I still have some in the pantry and don't want to waste it.


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## nebula5 (Feb 4, 2003)

Amber, quinoa has a natural coating of saponin on it, so it has to be will rinsed before cooking to get rid of the the bitterness. I put in a fine strainer and rinse, stirring with my fingers, directly under cold tap water for about 30 seconds to one minute. To use in a cold salad, Use a ratio of 2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa.
Put the quinoa in boiling water; turn down and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat,then let stand at least another 30 minutes. Hope this helps.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I soak the quinoa in water for about 15 mins and then rinse well before cooking. It works great, no bitterness! And I cook it until the water is absorbed, so no need to guess if it's done or not. Give it another try, I love it!


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## happycat (Dec 22, 2003)

You could also try cooking it in some vegetable or chicken broth, after rinsing as above. We like it topped with roasted veggies & feta cheese.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Rinsing it is suppose to help a lot.
I just bought a brand called Earthly Choice and it doesn't need rinsing and it's not bitter at all (and I was surprised).

I cook it with more water (use chicken broth instead) than 2 C per 1 C quinoa, (which you can drain off later) for longer, around 20 minutes. The interior gets more translucent and the curlicues separate from the interiors.
After it is done, add a little butter or olive oil.

Cool summer salads: quinoa w/chopped tomato, green onion, parsley, lime or lemon juice. Or quinoa w/chopped pears and pecans, add honey and a little lime or lemon juice.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Feather In The Breeze said:


> Rinsing it is suppose to help a lot.
> I just bought a brand called Earthly Choice and it doesn't need rinsing and it's not bitter at all (and I was surprised).
> 
> I cook it with more water (use chicken broth instead) than 2 C per 1 C quinoa, (which you can drain off later) for longer, around 20 minutes. The interior gets more translucent and the curlicues separate from the interiors.
> ...


This is also how I do mine.

I'm wondering if you were expecting it to taste more like couscous? Couscous is a pasta, not a grain. Quinoa is a true grain and loaded with protein and will taste different.


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## mirrorfactory (Jul 11, 2012)

Yeah, I am kind of mixed on quinoa. I like the flavor of the red quinoa a bit better. 

Definitely give it a rinse, and I cook it with vegetable broth or dried herbs for lots of flavor. I also use about a 2.5/1 ratio of water to quinoa, and cook it longer than suggested. 

For something a bit more couscous-like, I use millet. 

Good luck


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Karen said:


> This is also how I do mine.
> 
> I'm wondering if you were expecting it to taste more like couscous? Couscous is a pasta, not a grain. Quinoa is a true grain and loaded with protein and will taste different.


I was expecting it to taste like a grain but I didn't want 'another rice' because people have said it's like rice and rice has no taste and it gets mushy. Quinoa has a nice texture. I thought it would be bitter because of the things I've read about it, though, mine wasn't.
I like it.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We LOVE Quinoa! I make extra for different uses during the week.
Savory side...add Carmelized onions, feta and a squirt of lemon juice.
Greek Salad...raw veggies, Kalamata olives, feta and Italian style dressing.
Sweet salad...chopped fruit, fresh or canned.

Quinoa also can be made up like a bread stuffing, carmelized onions, celery, garlic, sage Rosemary, etc


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

I've also heard the key to reducing bitterness, aside from rinsing, is to cok it uncovered.


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

marinemomtatt said:


> Quinoa also can be made up like a bread stuffing, carmelized onions, celery, garlic, sage Rosemary, etc


This is such a great idea, thank you! (mushrooms too?)


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

LOVE mushrooms in stuffing! (no nuts or raisins or apple...bleech! ~lol~)


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

marinemomtatt said:


> LOVE mushrooms in stuffing! (no nuts or raisins or apple...bleech! ~lol~)


Okay, I'll make some, you can come over and enjoy it with me.


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## summerdaze (Jun 11, 2009)

I just recently discovered Quinoa, and I like it. I used a packet of already rinsed Quinoa though. (I had already read about the bitterness if not rinsed well b4 cooking)
I made a ground chicken and Quinoa meatloaf with it, and it was awesome..even better then I thought it would be!


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## AmberLBowers (Nov 28, 2008)

Wow! The container said NOTHING about rinsing! Thank you all so much!!!


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## snoozy (May 10, 2002)

Here is a really tasty recipe for quinoa -- more of a salad:

Life, Death, and Quinoa Â« Tea & Cookies


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## ralph perrello (Mar 8, 2013)

Amaranth is good too.


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## buttonwillow (Jul 31, 2010)

Some brands are pre-rinsed but I don't take the chance...a good rinse never hurt. 

I don't use the standard 2-to-1, water to grain ratio as I think it leaves the finished product too mushy. I use 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa, add a little salt and gently boil for 15 minutes or so (or whatever the instructions say).

The only way I care to eat quinoa is make a "salad" of it, similar to the way people make pasta salad: olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped onion and garlic, feta cheese, pine nuts or sliced almonds, plenty of finely chopped fresh basil, perhaps a bit of vinegar


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

summerdaze said:


> I made a ground chicken and Quinoa meatloaf with it, and it was awesome..even better then I thought it would be!


What a great idea. That sounds delicious!


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## free-2-b-me (May 9, 2005)

I buy Quinoa in bulk and it is bitter . I tried the cold water rinse but it still had a slight bitter taste . So now I rinse some but put it in more water than needed to boil . Then I let it start to boil then drain . Add more water and finish cooking . Seems fine that way .


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## Jacktheknife (Feb 5, 2013)

We buy in bulk from one of our local co-ops (the one that doesn't seem to think its spices and grains are made of gold) and haven't had to rinse ours either. We have only had it one three different occasions, but it has been very good each time. Especially considering we have just thrown things together with no recipe each time.


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## shepmom (May 29, 2003)

Late to the conversation, but just started eating this as well. Bought via Amazon from Bob's Red Mill(think that's right)-bundle pack. It's pre-rinsed. My first taste was as a breakfast grain. Added pure vanilla,2 tsp honey,1c strawberries.(recipe T. Credicott's book) yum It had a nice, nutty/oat taste by itself. 
I don't have Celiac disease but dh and I started _The Virgin Diet_ by JJ Virgin and had to eliminate all potential food sensitivities for 7 + days. I bought _The Healthy Gluten-Free Life_ 200 Delicious Gluten-free,dairy free,soy free and egg free recipes by Tammy Credicott.


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

Don't use a lid when cooking it.


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## amandaleigh (Apr 10, 2013)

I love quinoa and DH tolerates it so we have it a few times a month. Once of my favorites is "Thanksgiving" Pilaf. I cook the quinoa with a mix of chicken stock and apple cider, add dried apples and cranberries, and some fresh thyme. I also like to make a mock butternut squash "risotto" out of quinoa. I add leftover butternut squash that is slightly smashed to the quinoa and stock while it is cooking and the squash beaks down into a nice creamy sauce. In the summer, I mostly eat it as a salad and add pretty much anything that I would to a pasta salad.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I also use quinoa almost entirely for summer cold salads. I love it when someone else makes it hot, but when I do it it's always off. But you have all inspired me to try again!


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## MJDC (Mar 26, 2013)

quinoa and avocado,corn and red pepper salad . dressing to taste. yum. Lots of chopped avocado, thats the ticket!!!


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I've been enjoying a Savory Quinoa for breakfast! I add rinsed quinoa to vegetable stock, add dried onions, dried tomato, dried mushrooms, seaweed, Kale, garlic and spices (Turmeric, cayenne, cardamon, cumin and cinnamon). After it is cooked I add a splash of lemon juice!


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## FarmerStina (Nov 18, 2011)

My favorite quinoa recipe, from Mark Bittman:

Quinoa with Roasted Corn

2 Tablespoons of olive oil (or chicken fat)

1 bag of frozen corn

3/4 Cups quinoa

1 & 1/2 - 2 Cups of broth or water

Salt and pepper

Chopped herbs for garnish: Chives, chervil, parsley, cilantro, ect

Heat oil in a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat until hot. When hot, add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir. When the grains start popping and toasting, a couple minutes later, add 1 & 1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Stir one last time, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Uncover and test the quinoa for doneness. If the quinoa is still hard, add remaining broth or water, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. When ready, season with salt and pepper and chopped herbs. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature.

Variations:

Replace the corn with 2 minced shallots or 1 leek, thinly sliced. Cook over medium heat until soft, 3 minutes for shallots or 7 minutes for leek. Proceed with recipe.

Replace corn with two large onions, thinly sliced. Cook over medium heat until dry and sticking, about 15 minutes. Add the oil and continue to cook the onions until brown, another 10-15 minutes. Proceed with recipe.


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