Quinoa

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=139808&posts=27&start=1

^^ Thread from page two.  Make certain you rinse the grains in cold water before cooking.

You can substitute quinoa for rice in most recipes. I've been using quinoa flour lately in bread and naan (flat bread) recipes. Good stuff.

Mmm...you make naan? Good stuff! I need to start experimenting more with curry and stuff; once I get that down, I'll try some naan. I didn't know quinoa flour existed.

I usually just do quinoa as a side, but last night I made it with green peppers, red onions, Italian parsley, garlic, chicken, and a splash of lime...it was soooo good (quinoa had been cooked in chicken broth rather than water).

I tried this 2x this week.  I took the "rinse" as a recommendation and didn't rinse well enough the first time - wow was it bitter!  The second time I rinsed really well and it was AWESOME!!! I cooked it in veggie broth with some "Herbes de Provençe" from Penzy's. 

I'm going to try cooking it in cider with dried apples, cinnamon and nutmeg this week for breakfast! 

Ok, my FAVORITE way, I've made it about 4 times (and not trying ranother way anytime soon):

add 2 jalapenos (seeds and all), diced up. Even a serrano pepper if you have it. A little bit (1/2 tsp) of garlic powder or 1 garlic clove. I just used water.

YUM and spicy!

Not as good as I'd hoped.  I find Quinoa has a certain "smell" to it and it didn't lend itself well to the sweet apple/cinnamon flavouring.  Just my opinion though...

I'd rather have it savoury or spicy - even in the AM - so that's what I do from now on.

I've been cooking quinoa for 6 years. This is my favorite method.

1) Sweat 1 cup of chopped vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot, etc...) in 2 tablespoons of oil. 10 minutes, medium low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

2) Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes.

3) Drain the liquid from a can of diced tomatoes and add them to the veggies. Turn the heat up to medium high and simmer until nearly all of the liquid evaporates.

4) Add a can of (drained) black bean, or thawed, shelled, endamame. Or don't. It's good either way.

5) Add 1 cup of WELL RINSED quinoa. By well rinsed I mean rinse it until you think your good, and then rinse it for another minute or so. Stir the quinoa and veggies for a bit and then add 2 cups of liquid (chicken broth, vegetable broth, water... your choice).

6) Season. I will either do southwestern, curry, creole, or something more mild for the kiddos. 

 7) Bring it to a boil, stir, and reduce to low heat. Cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add some fresh chopped cilantro or other herbs. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Be sure to measure about a 1 cup portion. It's easy to eat the whole thing.