Any Quinoa eaters/fans/gourmands out there ?

[Chip]

Thanks to Hawk at ADKHIGHPEAKS, I recently have become aware of Quinoa, apparently pronounced keen-wah.

This stuff appears to be the near perfect trail food. Stores dry, cooks quick and easy, can be eaten for breakfast or dinner, made into trail bars, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone here is a fan that would care to share some knowledge; where to buy, recipes, etc. thanks

 

[Kevin Rooney]

... where to buy, recipes, etc. thanks

Chip -

Don't know if Whole Foods has stores in the NE, but would start there if they do. Otherwise, go to local food coop, health food store, etc. If you're traveling north on I89, there's a big food coop at the Centera shopping center in Hanover, NH -if coming of the I89, turn right at the light that makes the entrance to hospital (hospital on left, shopping on right).

Also, check your local supermarket in the section where they sell wild rice, cous-cous, etc.

 

[cbcbd]

We have Mrs Greens chain stores around here that have it but I've yet to try it - I'll have to check next time to see if their deli makes anything with it and see what their recipes are.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Quinoa...the ancient grain of the Incas. It's also very altitude tolerant...if you're thinking about growing it while on the trail that may be of value! I've had it added to soups and in summer vegetable salads much like tabouli made with bulgar wheat. When you cook it there is a little white colored "thread" that detaches from part of the grain, maybe it's the seed germ, I don't know exactly. It tends to look like a little tiny white worm. Not too pleasing to the eye for some people. It's been a while since I've eaten it in anything. It's not bad, but it's not something I'd look forward to eating on the trail, I don't think. Great nutrition though, if you can make it work.

I think even our Shaw's grocery store in stupid Springfield VT has it in the rice/couscous section. It's in a green type box I think. Many co-op/natural food type stores now sell pasta made with quinoa.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Thanks to Hawk at ADKHIGHPEAKS, I recently have become aware of Quinoa, apparently pronounced keen-wah.

This stuff appears to be the near perfect trail food. Stores dry, cooks quick and easy, can be eaten for breakfast or dinner, made into trail bars, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone here is a fan that would care to share some knowledge; where to buy, recipes, etc. thanks

Sound like the way bread of the elves! They do not teach their secrets to men!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Chip - If you're getting into "re-discovered" foods - check out chia. It's the seed from the chia plant, found at elevation in the West & Southwest in the spring (also in southern hemisphere). The flowering head looks a bit like a purple clover. The seed is collected, and usually ground into a flour, at least by native peoples. Very high in protein, and one of the highest in Omega3 fatty acid, even more than flax seed, IIRC.

 

[hikingfish]

Thanks to Hawk at ADKHIGHPEAKS, I recently have become aware of Quinoa, apparently pronounced keen-wah.

This stuff appears to be the near perfect trail food. Stores dry, cooks quick and easy, can be eaten for breakfast or dinner, made into trail bars, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone here is a fan that would care to share some knowledge; where to buy, recipes, etc. thanks

I make a quinoa salad that's to die for (I do it at home, it's probably possible to do it on the trail too)!

The trick is to put a table spoon of oil in a pan, heat it up a bit. Then add your quinoa in and stir it a bit so the oil is absorbed by the quinoa. Then wait...at some point, the quinoa is going to start "pop'ing". It's ready to be removed when 2-3 seconds goes buy without the pop'ing noise.

After that, add some nuts, fresh cut veggies, etc and you got yourself a really good tasting quinoa salad ;-)

Fish

 

[Chip]

Sound like the way bread of the elves! They do not teach their secrets to men!

Yes, Lembas wrapped in mallorn leaves is exactly what I'm hoping for here !

chia... The flowering head looks a bit like a purple clover.

I tried growing that once, but the flowering head looked more like Shaggy from "Scooby Doo".

Thanks, Kevin. I will also check out Chia.

 

[Jay H]

Thanks, Kevin. I will also check out Chia.

Nothing to add here, but do they make pets out of the chia?

Jay

 

[erugs]

I buy mine at Hannaford in the bulk food section. I started with boxed Quinoa to help me get started. It's great hot or cold. My receipe is always changing, adding whatever I happen to have at hand. Nuts, veggies, chicken. Some times I add a little salad dressing to give it quick flavor if I'm not feeling inspired.

 

[skiguy]

Thanks to Hawk at ADKHIGHPEAKS, I recently have become aware of Quinoa, apparently pronounced keen-wah.

This stuff appears to be the near perfect trail food. Stores dry, cooks quick and easy, can be eaten for breakfast or dinner, made into trail bars, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone here is a fan that would care to share some knowledge; where to buy, recipes, etc. thanks

If you like Quinoa and have not tried Couscous I'l bet you'll like it too. works great on the trail!

 

[sardog1]

I will admit to recreational consumption of quinoa. Couple of brothers named Hannaf--- supply me.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Nothing to add here, but do they make pets out of the chia?

Jay

Jay & Chip -

Yeah, it's the same name as that goofy commercial - "Cha cha chia" - but all resemblance ends there. It's not a grass for one thing.

Here's a link to a larger picture of the above. The chia is in the foreground. The yellow stuff is coreoporis. The pics were taken last year (much wetter winter) in the hills west of my house.

 

[sleeping bear]

I just had some keenwa (sp?) on the trip I just returned from. It was okay, tasted a lot like bean sprouts, or birdseed. We cooked it with some dried vegetable soup mix and motzerella cheese. Some others didn't cook it long enough and then added brown sugar. They wound up choking it down out of sheer will power. I don't recall that it cooked extra fast, and I'm pretty sure we boiled it, but we were at about 11,000'.

 

[Dugan]

ToeCozy - I call that "thread" around the middle a halo!

Whole Foods and Wild Oats is where I've seen it.

I've read that if you don't rinse the grains well before cooking that they'll be bitter. Because of that, I've never tried cooking it without rinsing - can anyone confirm?

Good trail food because it cooks quickly.

It can be cooked with a variety of things: with veggies and peppers and beans as a savory dinner dish, or with some sweetener as a more breakfast-y porridge.

A quick google revealed this site with recipes.

 

[Dugan]

Millet is another quick cooking grain - good trail food.

 

[alpinista]

Chip: Quinoa ROCKS! It has more protein than any other grain. I also find it incredibly versatile in terms of how you can use it in recipes. I'd consider adding raisins or other "gorp-style" products. But you can also use it plain, or with some veggies. Enjoy!

 

[dclynch]

FYI, Trader Joe's also sells it.

 

[Chip]

I'm eating some now. I picked some up locally last night and added it to a vegetable & bean chili I bring for lunch. I forgot to rinse it, but you're definately supposed to do that. The "worms" are alittle disconcerting, but they look like sprouts.
Taste, even unrinsed, is fine, nutty as described. I can definately see adding some brown sugar for a breakfast.
It ain't sirloin, but it'll be easier to cook and carry. If half the stuff they claim about Quinoa is true, we should all be eating alot of it.
Chia is next on the list.
"Hello health food store person, may I have some Cha Cha Cha Chia ?"

 

[vegematic]

I've cooked with quinoa a lot. I only rinsed it once and it was a pain to rinse. I didn't notice that it tasted any different for my having rinsed it.

You can frequently use it as you would rice, cous cous, etc.
-vegematic