But it is actually a very healthy alternative because it is full of vitamins and nutrients. It also has a nutty and crunchy texture that lends itself very well to these dishes.

Quinoa instead of rice.

This very simple substitution works very well for mild and medium spiced foods. If you like hot curries then quinoa is not quite as good as rice at reducing the strength of the food. In this case it is best to over cook the quinoa to help combat the spiciness of the curry.
For other dishes such as tabouleh and risotto it is ideal instead of rice. I would say preferable to rice because you do not get the starchiness. No post rinsing is needed. You can serve it straight from the pan. You can use it instead of rice in desserts but it does not perform as well here as with the savoury dishes.

Quinoa instead of cous cous

Cous cous is found very often in salads mixed with other vegetables. You can combine it with peppers and green leaf salads to make an endless combination of quickly prepared meals. Quinoa is an ideal replacement for cous cous but it does not keep as well once it has been prepared. You can keep it in a fridge for 2 days in an airtight container quite safely. After that it can lose its texture. It is better to prepare what you need on the day. Any left overs can be used as a packed lunch snack.

The best way of finding out about replacing rice and cous cous with quinoa is simply to try it. Be adventurous and you will find it very easy to use in your favourite recipes.

Cooking quinoa is still a bit of a mystery to many because most cooks have never even seen it, let alone know what to do with it. The best recipes are usually savoury. Quinoa goes great with salads, vegetables and main courses. It makes a very good base for a Mexican chilli meal or an Indian curry. I read recently of someone cooking quinoa in a microwave oven. It isn’t any faster but it is convenient.
The occasional quinoa recipe use sweet ingredients in dishes such as fruity porridge, or quinoa cookies. It is completely dreadful mixed with modern processed foods. Quinoa for some reason only seems to mix well with fresh and healthy ingredients which is all for the better. You can see that there is more than one type of quinoa recipe.

The most successful use that you will find for quinoa is in quinoa stir fry meals. The mild flavour of quinoa and its slightly crunchy and nutty texture really comes into its own with these types of meals. The best place to find these recipes is of course online. There are many good recipes there that will never make it into a recipe book because quinoa is so obscure. Just check that there are not too many weird ingredients. I came across a quinoa stir fry recipe that had 30 different ingredients – some of which I have never heard of.

You now know how to cook quinoa and that it is very good to experiment with in the kitchen. My own quinoa recipes have really developed out of trial and error over a few years. If one of my experiments didn’t work I would change it around next time.

To stop the quinoa sticking to the pan, lightly spray the inside with cooking oil.
Rinse the quinoa in cold water and place in the rice cooker pot.
Use one parts quinoa to two parts water.
Put the pot into the rice cooker and cover with the lid.
Cook for about 20 minutes.
If your rice cooker has a “keep warm” setting you can leave the quinoa in the cooker until you are ready to serve it.

Cooking tip. You can substitute vegetable stock for the water. You can also mix in fresh sage or basil to the quinoa to add some bite to the flavour.

There are many more quinoa recipes in my quinoa cookbook here

If you have no idea how to cook quinoa then you are not alone. There are many variations to cooking it and different brands can have slightly different cooking times. This has created some confusion for people wanting to cook quinoa but needing simple instructions. The first thing you always do is rinse your quinoa under a cold tap. This gets rid of any remaining bitter coating that the grains may have. You then need to precook the quinoa before including it in your recipe. You simple add one part quinoa to two parts water and bring to the boil. Then you simmer it for 12 – 15 minutes. If you are a bit unsure how to cook quinoa go for the shorter time the first time as you do not want to overcook it

When you are cooking quinoa it usually absorbs all the water during the simmering process. The grains become light and fluffy and the germ of the grain produces as small “tail”. The feel of cooked quinoa is a bit like rice but with a slight crunch. It is this “tail” that gives the pleasant crunchy feel and flavour. Before finishing you recipe you must prepare the other ingredients that are going to be included. You will find when you are cooking quinoa that it goes best with vegetables that cook quickly in a pan or wok

One of my favourite quinoa recipes is a Mexican stir fry dish that includes sweet peppers, one medium chilli pepper, fresh tomatoes, chopped celery, sliced courgette and mushroom. I usually add 10 freshly chopped Basil leaves for flavour. All I do is fry these ingredients in top quality olive oil with the cooked quinoa for 5 minutes and serve. The whole meal can be ready in twenty minutes and is nutritious and tasty. You can serve it as a complete dish on its own or as a base for meat or fish. This has become one of my favourite quinoa recipes because I can throw in ingredients that I have to hand and the quantities are not too important.

I discovered this particular quinoa recipe when I was looking to rustle up a quick meal and only had a few simple ingredients to hand. You can almost any mix of fresh vegetables and herbs in a quinoa stir fry and the end result will be excellent.
Do not be afraid to experiment with quinoa stir fry recipes. You will soon be creating a quinoa recipe of your own.

Some people have written to me saying could they buy part of the book or just the Quinoa flour and flakes section. I am not keen to break up the books so I am offering this special discount instead.

If this new price point means more sales then I will leave it at the new price. The offer ends on the 30th September. After this I may put the price back up.

The ebook package contains the following items

The Complete Guide To Cooking Quinoa
The Seven Day Quinoa Diet
Quinoa Flour and Flakes
How to Sprout Quinoa Guide

If you live in the UK the price is now £9.00
For the rest of the world it is $19.00

Full all the information about these ebook please visit our Quinoa Recipes website here www.quinoa-cookbook.com

When people first hear about quinoa they learn about its benefits but not how to include it in their diet. I have re-written the article this week and have put it on this page.

Background information

Quinoa is often thought of as a grain but in fact seeds from a plant. These quinoa seeds are small and come in a range of varieties. The most common variety is white which has now become readily available in the uk being stocked by Tesco, Sainsbury’s and numerous health food shops. Red quinoa has recently become available in the uk although I understand that it has been on sale in the U.S. for quite some time.

The truth about rinsing Quinoa

For most types you do not need to rinse it. This is because the large manufacturers realized that they would sell more if it was prewashed before going on sale. So I have not found quinoa on sale that has not been rinsed in the last few months. If it tastes bitter then you need to rinse it by running it under a cold tap for 2 - 3 minutes before cooking. Just occasionally you can taste a slight bitter twang to the quinoa but it is not enough to make the quinoa inedible

What does it taste like?

This superfood has a unique flavour and feel to it. It is compared to rice but it has a definite crunch to it. If you overcook it, it will become soft and fluffy like rice but it will not become sticky and stodgy like overcooked rice does. The flavour is unique but is similar to other grains which is probably why it gets confused with other grains. The best description I can think of is like a mildly crunchy porridge.

How do you cook it?

The simplest method is to boil it. You take one part of quinoa to two parts of cold water. Bring it to the boil and simmer for 10 - 20 minutes. There are 2 factors that effect the cooking time.

You can slightly under cook the grains for 8 - 10 minutes which gives a much nuttier and crunchy feel. This is the way I prefer it. When it is subsequently added to other ingredients for a bit more cooking it is better to undercook it. In fact one method of cooking (shown below) includes no pre-cooking at all.

How to microwave quinoa grains

It can be cooked in a microwave quite simply. Using the same ratio of 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water place them in a microwave dish and cook for 3 minutes. Then leave to stand. Stir for a moment and cook for a further 3 - 5 minutes. Allow to stand for 2 minutes. Any remaining liquid can be drained - it is important that the grains in a microwave are not allowed to go dry.

Cooking soups and casseroles with quinoa

This method simply includes quinoa in soup recipes and casseroles. There is no need to pre-cook the grains in the ways shown above. In soups it can add substance and flavour just by adding it to a favourite recipe. It really is a matter of trying out different soup recipes to find out what you like. Casseroles are very similar.

How to sprout quinoa

Quinoa sprouts are the least impressive sprouts you will ever see.It takes only 2 - 3 days to sprout and must be eaten straight away as it does not keep well. The sprouts are tiny. The benefit of preparing the grains this way is that you can eat it raw. A huge boost for those on a restrictive diet demanding raw food. The protein content is almost legendary and raw it really packs a punch as it is full of nutrients and vitamins. It is best combined with other salad vegetables as it can be quite bland on its own.

I now follow quite a strict diet similar to the GI diet involving quinoa, juicing and light main meals. It is this maintainence diet that provided the contents for my 7 Day Quinoa Diet.

I have included a full seven day eating plan in the diet. There are also 12 top quinoa articles that I have had published online and elsewhere. These articles are packed with health information and other background knowledge about quinoa.

To get your own copy I have included it as a bonus when you buy The Quinoa Cookbook which I wrote 2 years ago. I hope to have a new sales page for this book ready in september if you only want this particular book.

This can mean one of 2 things.
1. So many people are buying it that they have run out
2. They have discontinued it.

I hope it is the first option. I already have to buy quinoa flakes and quinoa flour online. I hope I do not have to buy standard quinoa this way as well.

The brand I prefer is Granovita which comes from Bolivia. It is farmed under Fairtrade rules and regulations which means the people who produce it get a fair wage. You can buy Granovita from Holland and Barratt and Sainsburys in the UK. Just occasionally they stock Red Quinoa which seems to have a bit more bite than the plain quinoa.

The quinoa I really want to get my hands on is Black quinoa. This is rarely seens outside the countries it is grown on . They obviously want to keep it all to themselves. If you find a good new source of quinoa put a comment on this blog and then I can let others know.

The source of the information is Wholehealthmd.com

Quinoa is often thought of as a “super-grain,” it is actually not a grain at all, but the seed of a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.

Quinoa has a protein content of 16 percent, which is higher than other grain. Quinoa also has an abundance of amino acids that are essential to a healthy body. Though the Quinoa grain does have a higher fat content than most grains, this is far outweighed by Quinoa’s exceptional levels of amino acids, iron, and fiber. (umn.edu)

1 cup of dry Quinoa is 4 cups cooked. The nutrition for (1/4 cup dry) 1 cup as cooked:

Calories 158.95 kcal
Carbohydrate, 29.28 g
Protein 5.57 g
Total lipid (fat) 2.46 g
Fiber, total dietary 2.51 g
Fatty acids, total 0.25 g
Calcium, Ca 25.5 mg
Iron, Fe 3.93 mg
Potassium, K 314.5 mg
Sodium, Na 8.93 mg
Zinc, Zn 1.4 mg
Vitamin E - mg ATE
Folate, total 20.82 mcg
Magnesium, Mg 89.25 mg
Energy 665.12 kj
Phosphorus, P 174.25 mg
Isoleucine 0.2 g
Serine 0.21 g
Proline 0.17 g
Glycine 0.29 g
Glutamic acid 0.66 g
Aspartic acid 0.41 g
Alanine 0.26 g
Histidine 0.13 g
Arginine 0.39 g
Valine 0.25 g
Manganese, Mn 0.96 mg
Copper, Cu 0.35 mg
Threonine 0.2 g
Vitamin B-12 - mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.09 mg
Niacin 1.25 mg
Riboflavin 0.17 mg
Thiamin 0.08 mg
Phenylalanine 0.23 g
Pantothenic acid 0.44 g
Leucine 0.33 g
Lysine 0.31 g
Methionine 0.11 g
Tyrosine 0.16 g

Quinoa Can Be Good For Sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome - IBS
By Ken H Jones

Irritable bowel syndrome - IBS - is a debilitating stomach disorder that many suffer from. It can completely stop you from living your life normally. The disorder is not ever present for most sufferers. It comes for a time due to perhaps an unknown food intolerance or a mad phase of binge eating. You can also develop the disorder through stress or as a result of other illness. You recover from the illness to find yourself suffering from IBS. There are some people who live with it almost constantly and they have to regularly monitor their diet and medication to achieve some semblance of normal life.

Quinoa as part of the solution

Quinoa is a good food for inclusion in a diet for people who have IBS. It is very good for many stomach and digestive problems because it is easy to digest but still has a very high fiber content. It also has a very high protein count and is described as a complete protein. The other benefit of quinoa is that it is one of the least allergenic foods. It is completely natural and unprocessed so doesn’t create problems and surprises for people who need to watch their diet carefully.

How to help by using quinoa in your diet

Quinoa is not a cure all but as part of a strategy to improve the diet it is ideal. It is also very easy to include into an IBS preventative regime. It is most commonly used as an accompaniment to savory dishes instead of rice and pasta. This substitution on its own will help a lot of people straight away.

You can eat it as a type of porridge for breakfast with fresh fruit. You can also sprout it for use in salads.

Most people who suffer from IBS need to find easy wholesome foods to help solve their health problem and quinoa certainly will fit in with this aim.

Find out how simply it is to cook quinoa. There are more and more quinoa recipes coming out now. You can find out how to cook quinoa Learn the superb health benefits of eating quinoa and include quinoa as part of your diet Quinoa Health Tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_H_Jones
http://EzineArticles.com/?Quinoa-Can-Be-Good-For-Sufferers-of-Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome—IBS&id=1248415