I have been working on cooking methods for quinoa - previously I often did the precook at home/dehydrate so that I would have instant quinoa (and I still do! It works well in instant salads and added to soups). The method below works for both alchy and canister stove users and produces a very light, fluffy and good textured quinoa.



Add 1/2 cup quinoa (make sure you get pre-washed) and 1 cup water to a 1 to 1.7 Liter cooking pot. Add any seasonings or a pinch of salt as desired. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes, stirring often - and leaving the pot lid on mostly. You may need to lower the flame. Bonus points for non-stick for easy cleanup.
Take off the stove and cover tightly, insulate in a pot cozy for 15 minutes.
This can be done with an alcohol stove if you have 7-8 minutes fuel time.

Sarah,
Thank you for the post on BPL on one pot cooking this grain. I am thinking of adding it to my re-supply boxes for my CT hike. When researching this on youtube, LOL.., I found that there are different varities of the grain. Which one is the best for hiking? I also saw a toasting method to prepare the grain before cooking. So what is the real process to take from purchasing to before cooking and dehydrating the stuff?
Thanks & Regards,
john

John,

I buy the massive bags of organic at Costco - http://truroots.com/ - as it gets it down to less than $2.50 a lb. Having said that I really, really like the black and red varieties - although the black can be over $6 a lb (eek!).

As long as you get a good brand it will be pre-washed so you can use it right away at home or on the trail (although I usually give it a quick rinse at home, but that is habit).

If you dehydrate it at home - once it is cooked spread it out to cool down a bit and then dry like rice. I prefer parchment paper under it - it is tiny after all.

I'd say white is the easiest and most affordable to find - so I'd start there - it is what you would find in most stores readily.

Sarah -- I think you are the only person who can make quinoa look appetizing. I will give this grain one more try.

Hehheh...I so understand that! It took me finding a good cooking method to truly enjoy it! I made a stirfry tonight served over quinoa that was quite tasty! If you want to see what I am making with it at home my personal blog is at gazingin.com btw - I am currently getting the family loving chia seeds :-D

Great nutrition and calorie to weight ratio. Teeny-weeny little black seeds in between my teeth, not so good...

Terri... try using the chia flour as opposed to the seeds. Less issues there.

I wouldn't call it "flour" but I grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder (never used for coffee that is). That produces a nice hearty texture powder in seconds - and no whole seeds. Easy to do - and you can process 1-2 Tbsp at a time!

I'm confused. Is quinoa the same thing as chia?

No, no! We were just yakking about chia as well as quinoa :-) Though both are seeds!

Technically, quinoa is a seed. However, I deal with its cooking and eating just like it is rice. I think it has more nutrients than rice, which is good. I dehydrate my cooked quinoa at home, so on the trail I just throw some soup base/seasoning on it, then cover it with boiling water and let it stand for a couple of minutes.

--B.G.--

yes... two different seeds... both which can be used in combination other flours for baking. I use the chia flour from Superseeds.ca. A little bit can add a lot of nutrition to something like a bowl of oats.

In the US there are a couple good brands of Chia. I for one really like Health Warrior. There are others. HW's is organic though. You can find it on Amazon as well.

I get quinoa in bulk at our local natural foods market. I have no idea if it is pre-rinsed or not--how does it matter? I've got to say, I'm not really excited about the flavor--slightly bitter? Even the Quinoa flaked cereal I have was like this, so I think it's integral to the grain? Wasn't sure if the rinsing might change something, though. Toasting sounds like a good idea.

I rinse it at home no matter what - just to get any dust off. It most likely is pre-rinsed in the bulk bins......but.....never hurts.

As for the flavor,yeah, that takes some getting used to. Flavoring it really helps though. A little broth flavoring :-)

Oh, yes, any grain I cook for dinner I cook in broth, not just water.
Now I need a gluten-free broth, preferably in concentrate form, that has flavor. The Pacific Natural Foods I can find locally in boxes is a) too expensive and b) doesn't have very rich flavor. I used to use the Better than Bouillon concentrates, but many of them have whey, potato starch, or some form of wheat. My parents used to make and freeze their own chicken or beef stock, but I haven't had the time to do that lately.

Yeah...even my fave Vogue (a powder) uses potatoes. When I first went on a low sodium diet I came up with 2 bases which one can add salt to as well -

http://www.trailcooking.com/recipes/vegetarian-low-sodium-%E2%80%9Cchicken%E2%80%9D-bouillon-mix-2

http://www.trailcooking.com/recipes/vegetarian-low-sodium-%E2%80%9Cchicken%E2%80%9D-bouillon-mix

Both are very easy to make!

Diane... I wrote an article on quinoa which you can find at Seattle Backpackers Magazine's website.

If you are using quinoa for the first time I would recommend starting with red quinoa as it is milder in flavor. I, like Sarah, always, rinse my quinoa for 2 to 3 minutes and then to dry it, I toast it in a fry pan just until the grains start to bounce or pop a little. The toasting really enhances the flavor and adds a slight nuttiness that is desirable in many recipes. If I am not cooking with it right away, I spread the seeds out to dry fully on a cookie sheet and then put them into a mason jar. This way it is ready when I am ready to use it in a recipe.

Even the baby likes the quinoa... I made this soup for home consumption and the little one loved it. So it's not as strong of a flavor as you might think.

Guys just love it in the springtime when the food experts get on a roll.

--B.G.--

Red I would agree as well is milder in flavor. Black is my favorite - it has an interesting flavor, bold.

Back when Walker was first eating solids I made him often sweet potatoes with red quinoa puree. I ran it through a fine mesh strainer. It was quite good tasting even to an adult ;-)