Cooking With Quinoa: the Supergrain

This book far surpasses my expectations and hopes. It is a beautiful book with a great selection of quinoa recipes.Table of Contents are:What is Quinoa? (5 photos)Soups (2 photos)Carrot, Ginger, Garlic and Coriander Soup (full-page photo)Cream of Lettuce Soup (full-page photo)Creamy Coconut Seafood Soup (full-page photo)Greek Egg and Lemon Meatball SoupZucchini, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese SoupRoasted Tomato and Fennel Soup with Basil and Garlic Pesto (full-page photo)Sweet Potato, Chili, Basil, and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Soup (full-page photo)Lentil SoupPumpkin, Tomato and Pea SoupBreads and Pasta (2 photos)Buttermilk Bread Loaf (full-page photo) this is a very clean healthy bread whose onlyingredients are oil, quinoa flakes, quinoa flour, baking soda, brown sugar, salt,buttermilk, eggs, water and red or black quinoa)Herb Bread (full-page photo) another bread recipe free of wheat, gluten, gums, yeasts,and acid-forming ingredients. The only ingredients are quinoa flour, baking soda,quinoa flakes, salt, paprika, fresh chives, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme,olive oil, and milkOlive Flat Bread (full-page photo) ANOTHER clean healthy bread recipe! The onlyingredients are quinoa flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, oregano, olive oil, blackolives, and warm waterCornbread (full-page photo)Fresh Pasta DoughGnocchiSalads (2 full-page photos)Mexican Corn and Red Kidney Bean Salad (full-page photo)Lentil and Chili Salad with Lime and Fresh CorianderRoasted Capsicum and Cannellini Bean Salad (2-page photo)Beetroot Garden Salad (2-page photo and a full-page photo)Pancetta, Mushroom and Zucchini Salad (full-page photo)Tabouleh (full-page photo)Salami, Roasted Peppers, Sundried Tomato and Olive Salad (full-page photo)Tomato, Basil and Garlic Salad (full-page photo)Prawn and Avocado Salad (full-page photo)Fattoush Salad (full-page photo)Chicken Salad (full-page photo)Mediterranean Vegetable Salad (full-page photo)Mediterranean Summer Salad (full-page photo)Thai Beef Salad (full-page photo)Vegetarian -(11 of the 19 following recipes have a full-page photo of it plated)Mushroom and Garlic RisottoEggplant with ChickpeasTomato and Basil Baked CapsicumsMoroccan Pumpkin HalvesVegetable BakeSweet Potato and Zucchini PieStuffed Tomatoes with Dill & Pine NutsStuffed Capsicums with Herbs and OlivesMiddle Eastern Bean Patties with Yoghurt and Mint SauceMango, Sweet Potato and Tomato CurryCherry Tomato and Butter Bean StewZucchini and Olive BakeSpinach and Tomato RisottoBroccoli and Cauliflower PanagrattatoSpinach and Cheese Souffle (recipe includes merely 3Tablespoons of quinoa flour so whileI wouldn't think of this as a quinoa recipe, it is nice to know that one can use quinoaflour to prepare a roux.)Spinach, Mushroom and Chickpea CurryRatatouilleCurried Lentil PilafWhite Cheese Sauce (recipe includes merely 4 tablespoons of quinoa flour so whileI wouldn't think of this as a quinoa recipe, it is nice to know that one can use quinoaflour to prepare a roux.) includes variation for Curry Sauce, Parsley Sauce, and Plain White Sauce.Meat (7 of the 10 recipes have full-page photo of the plated entree)Beef LasagneMoroccan Beef Tagine with Cardamom QuinoaIndividual Eggplant MoussakaCrumbed Lamb Cutlets with Garlic, Lemon and OreganoMushroom MeatballsLamb with Pomegranate, Mint and NutsLamb with Garlic, Cumin and PeasBacon Meat LoafPea and Ham Mint PieChorizo Sausage with Peas and TomatoesPoultry (6 of the 10 have full-page photos of the finished plated item)Roast Chicken with a Spicy Garlic StuffingChicken RissolesRoast Chicken with Bacon, Mustard and Herb StuffingChicken Fillets with Pancetta, Olives and Sun-dried TomatoesSpicy Chicken, Apricot and Almond TangineChristmas Turkey with Pork and Cranberry StuffingHerb-crumbed Chicken TenderloinsChicken MexicanaChicken and Preserved Lemon Tangine with Coconut QuinoaQuail with Rocket (Arugula), Garlic, and Pine Nut StuffingSeafood (4 of the 8 recipes have full-page photos of finished plated recipe)Tuna with Tomatoes and OlivesSalmon CroquettesSpanish-style MusselsMustard-crusted Salmon with Dill and LemonPrawn RisottoWhole Snapper with a Mushroom and Leek StuffingSalt and Pepper SquidBeer-battered FishSweet Things (6 of these 14 recipes have full-page photos of plated finished recipe)Apple and Cinnamon Buttermilk PancakesApple and Cinnamon CrumbleBlueberry FriandsApple and Orange Breakfast PorridgeCreamy Cinnamon PuddingChocolate CakeChristmas Fruit CakeCreamy Coconut and Mango PuddingBasic Pancake BatterRaspberry MuffinsPear ClafoutisRock CakesPineapple, Banana and Walnut CakePlum TartIndexAnother thing I like about this book is that all the herbs are fresh rather than dried. True, if the recipe called for dried, one could always substitute fresh and triple the amount BUT I like that the creator of the recipes enjoys FRESH! I think FRESH is the healthiest and tastiest and I appreciate recipes that utilize fresh ingredients.The first recipe I tried was the Apple and Cinnamon Crumble which is a twist on the Apple Brown Betty. Quinoa flakes are mixed with sugar to form crispy clusters that are yummy. The ingredients are granny smith apples, butter, quinoa flakes, brown sugar (I substituted maple syrup), and spices. I started with this one because I had everything on hand and I had many apples that needed to be prepared before going bad. This Apple an dcinnamon Crumble was delicious and reheated well and I will definitely make this again.The second recipe I tried was the Basic Pancake Batter and while the recipe was easy to follow I had to add flour to thicken and I found that I do not like the flavor of quinoa in my pancakes. I would not make this recipe again.Today I am preparing the Herb Bread - see above for ingredients. I will update this review ad I prepare the recipes with my experiences and thoughts. I am enjoying this recipe book. I find it easy to read, follow and comprehend. Sometimes I have to google the ingredients because as an American I do not hear some of these British terms often. For example, many ingredients use CASTER SUGAR which is simply finely ground sugar so you can make it yourself by putting granulated sugar in your food processor or coffee grinder and grinding to a fine powder. Also, you may see in one of the recipe names that it calls for rocket which is another name for Arugula so I added that in parantheses. In the book, baking soda is called bicarbonate of soda. Sultanas are golden raisins. Mixed peel which you can google how to make yourself if your store doesn't carry. I did not notice any ingredients more exotic or harder to find than the quinoa flakes and quinoa flour.I am very happy with this recipe book purchase so far.UPDATE 4/5/2012 the Herb Bread turned out great! A very respectable quickbread. Mine turned out a bit dry which could have been for a variety of reasons such as I forgot to brush it with olive oil before placing in oven as the recipe instructed. So I just served it with choice of high quality olive oil for dipping or a creamy goat butter so that it seemed to be the dryness I meant it to be. It was delicious and it didn't even taste like quinoa. I imagine that if a mother had a child refusing to eat quinoa but liked the Thanksgiving stuffing that they would love this Herb Quinoa Bread. The recipe made one 8" round loaf and next time I might make two because what I kept hearing is "There's no more herb bread? That is all there is? It is all gone?"The Herb Bread is the recipe that interested me the most and I needed to go to the grocer to get all the ingredients, but I am so glad I did!UPDATE 4/7/2012 today we tried the Mushroom and Garlic "Risotto" which is superior in my opinion to true risotto as you do not have to stand over the stove stirring constantly. This recipe is easy to prepare and is delicious and nutritious. It will be a staple in our home and easy enough to do variations on such as substituting half of water with broth, topping with slivered almonds or goat cheese, adding other vegetables....I was also thinking of trying the Chocolate Cake recipe today but deciding against trying it. It is 4 eggs, 3/4 cup caster sugar, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 5 oz dark chocolate plus other things. I have learned that I do not care for these recipes whether coconut flour, almond flour, whatever that are mostly eggs with a little bit of flour. There are other recipes where the proportions are more appealing to me such as the Raspberry Muffins with 2c quinoa flour to 2 eggs and the Rock Cakes which are 1 cup quinoa flour and 1 cup quinoa flakes to just 1 egg.UPDATE 4/13/12 Today we made the Middle Eastern Bean Patties with Yoghurt and Mint Sauce and it was yummy! Definitely a keeper. The quinoa grains added a nice crunch but one could not really taste quinoa over the red kidney beans, garlic, onions, spices, etc. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of chopped coriander and I interpreted that to mean chopped fresh cilantro. I used Eden Organic Kidney Beans, No Salt Added, 15-Ounce Cans (Pack of 12) as that is the only USA can linings that are free of bpa. Just a quick warning, it smells fantastic when the patties are being cooked so everyone, including the dog, is rushing in asking when will it be ready?UPDATE 4/14/12 Today we made my favorite recipe yet! Zucchini, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Soup! After living half a century with a taste for adventure, I had come to think I had tasted most every food available. Yes maybe someone does a slight variation of this or that with proportions a little different or different combination of ingredients. But this soup is a brand new treat I have never experienced. I nearly woofed it all down in the kitchen without sharing! It is a lovely light soup and ideal as an entree. It uses the red quinoa grain. OMG it was so incredibly good. This recipe alone is worth what I paid for the cookbook.UPDATE 4/18/12 Today we tried the Broccoli and Cauliflower Panagrattato which is an Italian way of preparing broccoli and cauliflower. Panagrattato means grated bread, in other words, breadcrumbs. The author used quinoa flakes instead for a delicious dish that you can eat on its own or as a side dish. I am not a big fan of bread-crumbed vegetables but thought I might really enjoy this recipe however I would not make this again. If you are a fan of breadcrumbed vegetables, this will please you. I prefer the flavors and nutrition of punching of vegetables with powerhouse herbs and spices.UPDATE 4/20/2012 we made the Zucchini, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Soup AGAIN! Still so delicious! My favorite stock is Imagine Foods Organic No Chicken Broth -- 32 fl ozAlso today we made the Buttermilk Bread Loaf (see ingredients above) and the recipe fills a 8 1/2 x 6 x 3 inch loaf tin but I used a 9 x 5 x 2.75 pyrex and it worked great. While this bread looks very pretty in the loaf with red or black quinoa grain sprinkled on top, it is a dense sandwich bread that I wouldn't not serve on its own but definitely a good sandwich bread is best when you do not want to distract from what you are serving on the bread. This is a very healthy clean dense nutritious quickbread that makes a sandwich bread.UPDATE 4/21/2012 the Buttermilk Bread Loaf tastes great toasted with L'Epicurien Fig and Walnuts Confit, 4.41-Ounce Unit (Pack of 3)Later same day, we tried the Vegetable Bake which is roasted veggies, with steamed veggies, with prepared quinoa grain plus cheese sauce thickened with quinoa flour. This stated fine but required alot of clean up with all the cookware and bakeware required. I think I would make this recipe again but more like keeping it in mind as a great way to change up leftovers - add cooked quinoa and top with a cheese sauce! Friends ask my secret to my cheese sauce - and it is simply this - make it from scratch home-made such as this recipe and don't pour it from a grocery-bought jar! Freshly home made tastes SO MUCH BETTER and doesn't have all the chemicals and been sitting on the shelf for a year or longer!UPDATE 4/25/2012 today we tried the Carrot, Ginger, Garlic and Cilantro/Coriander Soup and it was good. The recipe calls for 3 oz of uncooked quinoa grain to add to this recipe that serves 4-6. I thought the soup turned out a little sweet for my taste as I like to have the five flavors more balanced and/or less sweet in a soup but I do not think that is because of the recipe as the only sweet ingredient was the carrots and that of course would vary crop to crop. I used organic carrots from my local farmer and I guess they work particularly sweet this crop. It's nice to see the variety that the author offers in this Cooking with Quinoa: The Supergrain CookbookUPDATE 5/26/12 A couple of days ago, we made the Olive Flatbread and it turned out ok. The recipe offers the alternative to leave out the olives and oregano to make a plain flatbread as well. We followed the directions for the Olive Flatbread and it turned out very salty. Olives have salt in themselves and I used a very healthy brand with lots of good oils and minerals including salt which may be why mine turned out too salty. Next time I make this bread, if using olives, I would adjust the amount of salt down. I definitely preferred the fresh herb bread to this flat bread but this was ok.I read that another reviewer found the Olive Flatbread too salty as well. Maybe it isn't about the olives and simply that the recipe book has a typo and we should adjust the amount of salt down for this particular recipe. I haven't found any of the other recipes in this book too salty so far.TIP: a delicious prepared source of puffed quinoa Alter Eco Americas Chocolate Organic Dark Quinoa 3.5 oz. (Pack of 10)UPDATE 5/27/12 Today we tried the Zucchini and Olive Bake and I thought it was bland. Next time, I would add onion and garlic or something to spice it up! I do not care for dishes where the main flavor is salty.

We bought this book in January and have not stopped using it ever since. After the doctor told my wife and I we needed to get our diet re-organized or face Type II Diabetes, we started working hard at eating healthy food we prepare ourselves. Along this path we heard about all the dietary benefits of quinoa but could not find an "easy to use" cookbook to get us started. This is the book! We are working our way through all the recipes but I must admit we keep going back to the "Broccoli and Cauliflower Panagrattato", the "Individual Eggplant Moussaka" and the "Pea and Ham Mint Pie" and the "Plum Tart." Those particular recipes as so tasty, we find ourselves going back to them over and over. We add leek to some of the recipes because we love the taste of leek and we usually add more of the red chili flakes but neither addition is a problem. On the other hand, if you live in the United States, be forewarned that you might not be able to easily find a couple of the spices and/or ingredients. And, the names for some ingredients are different e.g., "mince" is ground beef. We are so grateful to have found the perfect cook book for cooking quinoa dishes on our first try. And, there is the added benefit of stabilizing our blood sugar. Thank you, Rena!

This is a nice cookbook to have. The pages are colorful, some great recipes, and inspiration. Some of it after a while got a bit 'tiring' for us - but I don't think that is the fault of the content of the book - just simply our tastes.Would recommend.

We found Quinoa at a cooking show we attended. However, recipes for it were difficult to find. Then I found this book.Book has beautiful colour pictures of the food and is ideal for vegetarians as it has many vegetarian recipes.Also, the Amazon price was far better than I could find here is Australia even after shipping was added.Note that the grain, Quinoa, is relatively expensive but it is very different to other grains or rice - and delicious.

I love Quinoa & already cook with it a lot so was thrilled to see such an appealing cookbook on the market. I am fussy about my cookbooks & enjoy a large format with lots of pictures to get my taste buds excited! This didn't disappoint! It's visually wonderful & I have enjoyed the recipes & the range of options that it's shared. A great book for anyone wanting to enjoy this wonderful, healthful food (Grain..? Seed??)!

I'm new to quinoa cooking and this book is very instructional. Has lots and lots of pictures and recipes sound very good.

This book is a great addition to my gluten free books. The illustrations are beautiful, and the recipes are scrumptious! I now have other friends who are using quinoa and are enjoying its benefits. May I also share with you about another member of our family who loves quinoa? Our standard poodle, Rambo is thriving on this as a cooked addition to his "gluten-free,wheat-free " diet. Why buy expense dog food..cook enough of this grain for you and your pet.

I'm happy with the book, though my skill with quinoa needs tons of improvement. With all things new I'll keep at it, the directions are pretty clear so it isn't the book's fault.