Quinoa

[Chickpea]

Like very very mini popcorn.

[Dave]

What do you need to know Boots? Quinoa takes about 15 mins to cook and you use about the same as you would with cous-cous. If I'm mixing it with brown rice then I'll put 1/4 cup of rice to 1/4 cup of quinoa. The rice takes about 1/2 an hour so it goes on for 15 mins then I'll add the quiona and the other ingredients then. You can add pretty much any thing in there, beans, carrots, corn, peas etc - just whatever you come back from the veggie patch with that day. Or if you want the curry seperate just make it with just the spices, stock and rasiens and have it with a dal (spicy lentils) or meat curry.


I found these recipes if it helps at all -
http://cgi.fatfree.com/cgi-bin/fatfree/ ... cgi?quinoa

[caithnesscrofter]

Ive been sprouting quinoa and it is great this way in veggie burgers, tabouleh, tuna fish salad and would be good over a leaf salad too. i'm also going to try it in place of rice in a veggie sushi rolls too.

soak quinoa for 30 mins. put in sprouting jar and rinse every 8 hours.. more often is better. I eat them when the tails are about half or three quarter inch long. luvly & sprouting them adds to the nutritional value.

i'm going to try to grow some.

[Trinity]

Here's one of my creations... goes down a treat.

"Stuffed quinoa and aubergine canoes"

Ingredients:

200g of quinoa or rice
2 aubergines (egg plant)
1 clove garlic
Handful of fresh garden herbs: parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage
Lemon pepper
Tamari or shoyu (1 table spoon)
Coconut oil (2 table spoons)
Raisins (1 table spoon)
Sprinkles of Love (as much as you have)
Maple syrup or honey (1 teaspoon)

How to make it:

1. Cook and drain the quinoa

2. Slice aubergines lengthways and scoop out the flesh from inside to make "canoes".

3. Dice the scooped out aubergine in to small chunks.

4. In separate bowl mix all the ingredients together.

5. Stuff aubergine canoes with mixture, creating a nice mound, and place on baking tray.

6. Cook in pre-heated oven (approx gas mark 6) for about 20 minutes, or until the top begins to crisp on top.

7. Serve with veggies or potatoes, or whatever takes your fancy :-)

8. Enjoy!!!

(for a variation, try using bell pepper (orange, red or yellow) sliced vertically down the middle and then stuffed.

[caithnesscrofter]

next time Ive got an aubergine I''m gonna try that! cheers trinity!

[Trinity]

Red Quinoa and Ginger Medley

500g Red quinoa (cooked)
3 medium courgettes (zuccini) - diced
1 level dessert spoon finely chopped ginger
3 level dessert spoons seeds (i.e. sunflower/pumpkin)
1 teaspoon fair trade/local/organic honey (or date syrup)
2 dessert spoons of tamari or shoyu

How to prepare:

Toss all ingredients together in an oven proof pot.

Place in oven (200 degrees celcius) for 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the baking period.

Serve with oven baked potato wedges and steamed greens (or whatever you happen to fancy Smiling

QUINOA FACTS:

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.

It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred.

Technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it's cooking characteristics.