Post by incognitotoday on Sept 27, 2013 14:10:04 GMT -5
Every brand I've ever bought, even when it is 'flavored' (ie: Garden Vegetable), it taste awful. When I go to WF or Fresh Market and buy theirs already made it taste good. Do you have a particular brand/flavor of quinoa? Do you do anything 'special' to give it some flavor?
We buy it in the bag that Costco sells. Always, always, always rinse before using it. I make it in a rice cooker--don't forget to add a dash of salt. I'll cook it in water or chicken broth depending on what I have available. If I cook it on the stovetop, it comes out mushy and weird every time. But the rice cooker? Perfection.
Every brand I've ever bought, even when it is 'flavored' (ie: Garden Vegetable), it taste awful. When I go to WF or Fresh Market and buy theirs already made it taste good. Do you have a particular brand/flavor of quinoa? Do you do anything 'special' to give it some flavor?
Most importantly, I think, we don't usually just serve plain quinoa as a side dish. I love it mixed with kale, chick peas, seasonings, etc. in a warm salad-like dish, or mixed with seasoned ground beef as taco filling (I really like the texture this makes, especially in steamed corn shells), or even used in place of bulgur in a tabbouleh salad. All of these are so highly flavored, I can't really see how any of them would be "ick."
I use it a lot in mexican dishes in place of rice. My favorite is to mix it with black beans, salsa and corn and bake it in a casserole dish with a little bit of cheese on top. It's so good.
Oooh, another way we love it is in a cold salad, with black beans, avocado, diced tomato (sliced grape tomatoes), green onion, and a load of lemon or lime juice. The response above reminded me of that.
So about the washing, the kinds I've been finding all say "pre-washed", do I still need to wash it again?
Yes, I always wash it no matter what the package says. You won't regret rinsing it, but the sudsy stuff can actually make people sick if it stays on there, and I can imagine some regret in that case.