Jan 16, 2011

quinoa-corn chowder

This recipe was from Viva Vegan! by Teri Hope Romero. It has been a little while since I've hit this cookbook, and the idea of quinoa in a chowder was appealing. Quinoa "grain" is not really a grain, since it is not a grass, but in fact is the seed of the plant that has been cultivated for over 4,000 years in South America. While the greens of the quinoa plant are also edible, the seeds are what is most available to us.

Quinoa also happens to be a complete protein.

While quinoa can be intimidating to cook the first few times, get yourself a bag and start cooking with it. The ratio of water to quinoa is easy:
1 part quinoa, 2 parts water, cook 20 minutes.
Make sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking it.

If the quinoa is added to a stew or a soup, it is even simpler since I've yet to overcook quinoa, unlike rice, which is too easy to overcook.

The Quinoa-Corn 'Chowder' I made from Teri's book was very easy to make and delicious. To top it all off, she recommended I add avocado to it.
It's like she read my mind...

Cost Breakdown

garlic, onion, spices: $1
red quinoa: $.75
aji (pepper paste, homemade): $.50
potato, corn: $1.50
beans: $2
tomatoes: $1
non-dairy milk: $1
Total to make 6 servings:
$7.75





12 comments:

  1. That looks good. Does red quinoa taste different than the regular?

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  2. Thanks, Susan. Red quinoa is supposed to have a slightly earthier flavor, but I couldn't tell the difference. It is pretty, though!

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  3. Looks great, thanks for sharing-- but where are you finding quinoa for $.75?!?! Please share!

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  4. Hi Mark,
    Not as wonderful as it sounded, I'm afraid. The recipe only called for 1/2 c of quinoa. I paid $6 for the bag of 4 cups, which comes to $.75.

    Thanks for visiting :)

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  5. Sounds great...quinoa and corn are two of my favorite things!

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  6. Your photo is very appealing! Quinoa is expensive, but so very worth it and much better for you!

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  7. Love quinoa. The idea of quinoa chowder is one that I don't think I'll be able to escape until I try it.

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  8. Has anyone tried a Kinibar yet? All natural, gluten free, VEGAN energy bar made from quinoa. They taste great!

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  9. do you have the recipe for that pepper paste? i can't find it anywhere around here

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  10. Hi Amy,

    I bought the dried peppers and made my own recipe. Let me write it up and I will post it for you - I know how you adore Viva Vegan! stuff :)

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  11. Looks good! I would have never thought to put quinoa in my corn chowder!

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