[Cannwarren]

I just bought some at the health food store because I knew we are allowed to have quinoas in phase 2, even though I have no idea what they really are. THere is a recipe on the back for apple, walnut bread made from this flour. I made it into mini loaves that are baking right now. Are we really allowed to have this stuff or am I wasting my time and $. The bag of flour was $6 and it's only about 4 cups worth. Need some input.

[tomandkara]

Quinoa is a grain, so it's Phase 2 (and 3) acceptable. It has more protein than wheat or rice flour so it's a good, whole grain, healthy choice. Hope you enjoy!

Kara

[zeffryn]

Quinoa is a wonderful alternative to regular ww flour. It has a rather nutty taste. I've used it to make breads before, and ended up with a more dense loaf. It is tasty, though. Don't use it for yeast breads without combining it with a flour that contains gluten (ww flour is a good one).

You can make your own quinoa flour by grinding the grains into a powder. I usually use a blender or coffee grinder. Buy quinoa in bulk and grind it up!

[tdiprincess]

Where do you find Quinoa? Only health food stores? I could check a local market.. they have more organic and healthier foods...

[zeffryn]

I've found it by the pastas in regular supermarkets.....also, health food stores will almost assuredly have it. It's cheaper to buy it in bulk if you can find it. I think I pay $1.29 a lb. @ Whole Foods.

[tdiprincess]

huh... I'll have to look next time I'm at Wegman's.. I was in their bulk food section the other day and was noticing their bulk grains and such.. I'll have to take a closer look next time..
about how much Quinoa does it take to grind a cup of flour?
And when baking.. do you have a standard mix rate for baked goods to get the gluten in there? I have never experimented, I'm new to this game... Thanks for the help

[zeffryn]

hrm, I'm not sure about how much regular quinoa it would take to make a cup of flour. Not a whole lot more than a cup, maybe two. When I make it, I make a ton and store it.

Anyway, for baked goods WITHOUT yeast, I will do a 3:1 ratio (quinoa flour:ww flour (or other type of gluten flour - sorghum flour works well))(ie: 3/4 c. quinoa flour and 1/4 cup ww flour to make a full cup. You may be able to replace the entirety of the ww flour with quinoa flour. I've never done it, but I'm sure it would work ok. It might have quite a bit softer crumb because of the lack of gluten in the bread, but gluten is more important in yeast breads.

If you're making a yeast bread, the most I've ever successfully used is a 1:3 ratio (quinoa flour:ww flour). I tried more, but it just doesn't come together right. I'm sure I could experiment with different flours, but nobody in our family has a gluten intolerance, so it really isn't an issue for us. I use the quinoa for increased protein.

You can also buy quinoa in a box by the pasta. It's a little more expensive that way though. Since finding bulk grains, I hardly ever buy pre-packaged grains. They are always way more expensive. Once, I paid $4 for a 8 oz. pkg. of red lentils.....what a rip off! I won't make that mistake again.

[tdiprincess]

I like cheap.. and so does DH.. he's frugal.. Thanks for the tips.. I'll be bookmarking this and then I think I'll but the ratios on an index card for my recipe binder thing going.. I can't wait to start experimenting!!