Quinoa Recipes

One of the best ways I've had quinoa was when I made a recipe from the cookbook Vegan YumYum. You cook the quinoa with the regular amount of water, and also throw in some lime zest, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. It was awesome. It still had a mild taste, but just tasted really good. It's from the recipe called sweet chili lime tofu if you want to google it.

Quinoa can be used in pretty much the same way you would use rice, couscous or pastina (tiny bits of pasta that cook almost instantly, used as baby food by Italians). Gravy is nice, grated cheese melted into it is nice, or just a little melted butter or margarine. Recipes with olive oil are very good. There should be some ideas on the box or bag that the quinoa comes in. The Near East company, which makes couscous, has a website with recipes, wwww.nearest.com. Virtually anything you do with couscous, you can do with quinoa.

I make a big pot of quinoa (wash and soak first and cook with a small piece of Kombu seaweed) and make 2 different things that my daughter loves. I recook it with hazelnut milk (but you can use almond or rice too) and then you can add stuff to it: banana, crushed nuts (walnuts are great, almonds, some raisins for iron, pumpkin seed for zinc. You can also freshly grind some flax seeds or better to use hemp seeds as they are chock full of omega 3,6 and 9 and have protein.

For a different kind of taste you can make a delicious broth with miso paste (www.southrivermiso.com has the best miso) and add the quinoa and some fresh veggies too. Add a tiny bit of wakame seaweed for extra balance and nutrients. If your son isn't into the veg, cook them, blend them and stick them in, he'll never know the difference.

I was on a gluten-free diet, and actually really liked making "oatmeal" with quinoa. Cook it just as you would normally, but add in some almond milk, sugar (I used stevia) and some cinnamon. It's actually really good!

Here's a quinoa recipe I just recently got here, on Mamapedia- http://www.mamapedia.com/voices/cookin-quinoa.

It's such a versatile food! You can cook it with any meal- breakfast, side dish, or even dessert!

Good luck!

T.
Barefoot Books Ambassador
www.ReadandGrow.com

Michelle,
I have never made it by I have friend who does. she is vegan, so you may want to try some of the vegan websites or Food TV.

We tried this and my hubby loved it:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Quinoa-Pudding-137505

Here are some others that we have not tried, but I thought a two y.o. would like:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Quinoa-and-Barley-Breakfast-Por...

http://www.recipezaar.com/Hearty-Quinoa-With-Sauteed-Appl...

Have you thought of yogurt, kefir milk, almond milk, kashi cereals, protein shake?

Just remember that toddlers do not need too much protein - only two ounces http://www.ehow.com/facts_###-###-####_protein-foods-todd...

Good luck!

I eat it every morning for breakfast. As it's cooking I put in coconut oil and peanutbutter or sunbutter. When it's finished cooking I put in agave, nuts, blueberries, bananas or whatever fruit I have. It's very good! Everyone I make it for loves it! It takes on the flavor of whatever you put in it so it's good for dinner as well. Experiment with different things, it's fun!

I recently started using it and I love it. I cook up a couple of cups in chicken broth then put it in the frig. (I'm only one) The other day I cooked up some green onions, garlic, carrots, green pepper, and broccoli and then threw them together - boy it was really good. But sometimes I just put a dab of butter and a little salt and eat it just like that. There were some quinoa recipes on food network just recently but I haven't tried them yet. :) good luck

just cook it and stick it in an acorn squash and throw cranberries and if ok, walnuts.

good lord is that yummy