We’re Crazy for Quinoa
Quinoa, that fluffy seed with a nutty flavor, is a pretty popular food these days. We can see why! This scrumptious (and gluten-free) treat packs in the nutrition, with lots of protein and fiber. It’s also a good source of magnesium, iron and phosphorus, and it contains all nine essential amino acids.
Quinoa is delicious in all four seasons but, as this New York Times article points out, it’s especially good during the spring and summer. Why? Quinoa is an excellent base for salads starring all those veggies that pop up in stores and farmers markets during the warmer months. Try tossing cooked quinoa with a light vinaigrette, fresh chopped vegetables and herbs for a cool, healthy lunch or side dish.
We love our organic white quinoa, organic red quinoa and organic black quinoa. In fact, we make sure we have a little of each in our kitchens at all times. (Variety is the spice of life, after all!) The red and black quinoas are a little chewier and taste a bit earthier than their fluffy white counterpart. That’s why we love to mix all three when we’re making a recipe, just as the New York Times author suggests. It looks beautiful, and it invigorates the texture and flavor of the dish.
The article points out that while quinoa lends itself to many types of recipes, it’s not a great substitute for rice in creamy dishes like risotto. However, besides being yummy in salads, it’s also delicious in pilafs, hot cereal, baked goods and stuffing (or dressing, for our Southern fans). We’ve even known people to substitute cooked quinoa for rice or tapioca balls in pudding. Use your imagination, and it’s likely that you’ll come up with something just fabulous!
Want more ideas for cooking with quinoa? Check out our blog post “Five Tasty Ways to Cook With Quinoa,” as well as the list of recipes in the bottom left corner of the product pages. We guarantee you’ll find dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious!
8 Responses to “We’re Crazy for Quinoa”
I am so glad you wrote this up, I have a bag of Quinoa sitting in my cupboard and I am not sure what to make with it, was thinking about cooking it up using chicken stock instead of water, then roasting leeks and broccoli and mixing that in with some de-boned grilled chicken, tossed with a lil Tamari. What do you think?
I have never used it before?
Jacquelyn
That sounds delicious! Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
I can’t believe how fast my order was shipped! The chocolate candy arrived the next day, and it wasn’t melted on a 90 degree day! Thanks!
Fantastic! Thanks for the good news, Lois! Have a sweet weekend! 🙂
I have been hearing so much about Quinoa and when I placed my order here I added a bag of Quinoa. I cooked it and had it hot with dried cranberries and a little almond milk. Delish. I had some left and the next day added it to my scrambled eggs for an omlete. It added some extra texture and made the omlete seem extra fluffy. I think the uses are only limited to imagination, and it has so many healthy benefits that I will be eating it regularly. Thanks for offering amazing products and really fine customer service. p.s. the dried unsalted edamame are awesome. I didn’t miss the salt.
I only tried Quinoa one time years ago while on vacation and loved it, but when I bought a couple of packages (NOT from Nuts Online) the Quinoa had all kinds of stuff in the bags that needed to be picked out before we could cook it. It too so long and was too much of a hassle to clean it all before cooking. I haven’t bought any since. Was that just a fluke or what? I’d love to be able to eat this stuff again.
Great question, Renee! Some brands of quinoa need to be rinsed and sorted before use to remove debris and the bitter saponin from the outside of the seeds. That’s not the case with our product. NutsOnline’s premium organic quinoa is ready to go right out of the bag. No rinsing or sorting for us! It makes our quinoa way more convenient to use, and we think it’s more delicious, too! 🙂
Nutty Scoop, thanks. I was hoping to read a reply like that. More convenient is always a good thing! I can’t wait to place an order for some, yum!