Quiena and other grains

[Thomas3344]

Hi, Please answer only what you time to answer.

1-I am trying to understand how to prepare quiena (forgive spelling) and other grains raw.

2-I read by dr tim brantley that you place quiena in water for a certain amount of hours and then you actually cook it. Is this correct?

3-How do you prepare quiena and other grains if you do not want to cook them in a conventional oven.

4- Last, do seeds and nuts when you buy them raw still need to be placed in water for a certain amount of hours to unlock the enzymes.

5- If there is a way to sprout the grains, will they have less of an impact on your blood sugar level when you eat them.
Thanks
Thomas

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I sprout quinoa :) Only takes about a day.

I soak Buckwheat and dehydrate it for Crispies.

Sprouting is a great way to get some great nutrients from grains without cooking them. it also makes them easier to digest than just soaked until soft.

Nuts and seeds really should be soaked at least a few hours to get rid of the enzyme inhibitors. Almonds, in particular, get a delicious, fuller taste when soaked :)

[solarliving]

Crazy Healer Lady : )

Can you share how you sprouted the quinoa?

Thanks,

Solar

[Thomas3344]

Hi
Thanks 4 your answers CHLady.

Yes,Can you please share on how to sprount quiena. Do u cook it conventially after sprouting.

Anyone,
I am a complete newbee and never sprouted ANYTHINHG. Can anyone share anything that could help a newbee about sprouting.
I want something beside fruits and vegtables. If this is the case would purchasing a dehydrator be the step to take.

Thanks,
Thomas

[curlygirl82]

Thomas,
Check out www.sproutpeople.com. Their site is chock-full of instructions, tips, and even pictures! Also, check YouTube, there are several videos that show you exactly how to sprout. I was intimidated at first, but you get the hang of it really quickly - it's soooo easy!
Best of luck to you!

[kaybee]

yeah, what she said--check out sprout people ;) but in brief, you could start with lentils, theyre really easy, and forgiving. wheat sprouts pretty easy too. basically soak whatever you want to sprout in water overnight, then drain it the next morning and rinse it well. place it in a colander or strainer, something with holes so the extra water can get out the bottom. they make sprouting jars and "sprouters" for this, but the cheapo way that i often use is to use a strainer and just let them set in that. rinse them well and drain 2x a day, you dont want them sitting in water all day. after a day or two, you should see a sprout or "tail" start to emerge. feel free to use at any point or to let the sprout grow longer. after a few days though, some sprouts get stringy and tougher. you can do this with sunflower seeds, mung beans, lentils, various grains, etc. the quinoa i think has to be soaked LESS time than overnight, and it will sprout very quickly. in order to use your grains raw, you wouldnt want to cook them after sprouting... there are a few ways you can prepare quinoa--such as quinoa tabbouleh, and ive also heard of people blending it in a hi powered blender to make a creamy soup-base...but its not going to be the same texture as if it were cooked. you can make sprouted wheat salads etc with things like sprouted wheat, but personally i dont find most grains to be that tasty raw... buckwheat you can soak, blenderize, add sweetners and dried fruits/nuts and make into a "porridge", (use some warm water in the blender to make it warmer), and lentils make a great sprouted lentil salad with olive oil, lemon juice, and various chopped veggies and seasonings.

For more "substance" than fruits and veggies, something easy I might suggest--and that i prefer to the grains--is to soak sunflower seeds overnight and then put them in a food processor (if you have one) with seasonings to make a dip or spread. you can find recipes for this on this website. i actually prefer to do half sunflower seeds and half zucchini, with lemon juice, garlic, etc, to make a no-bean "hummus".

i also prefer seeds such as sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin, instead of grains, for making crackers and cookies. i just dont like the texture or taste i end up with with things like wheat in the dehydrator. although buckwheat is ok, (and come to think of it i did ONCE make a quinoa scone recipe in the dehydrator that was to DIE for, but ive never been able to replicate it....)

if you want to sprout smaller stuff like alfalfa seeds, you really need either a plastic sprouter, or a jar with some kind of a mesh or screen lid. you can buy plastic "sprouting" lids to screw onto a glass mason jar for about 7 bucks for a set of 3 at many health food stores. these seeds are generally too small to work well in the "open air" method used above, and they also seem to dry out quickly and seem to need the humidity of a more closed space between rinses. dont close the jar, the mesh lid provides necessary ventilation, but these guys probably wont do well just set out in a bowl to sprout.

[Revvell]

This is a RAW vegan board. You don't cook sprouts.

If you've not gotten Alissa's book, you REALLY should AND her dvd's. A LOT of your questions will be answered there.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Kaybee, you answered that so perfectly!

I just use a jar with some cheesecloth over the top. Just rinse them twice a day for a few days, leaving the jar tilted so the water can drain and they don't rot. I have bought a little sprouter, and I love it.

No need to cook grains once they are sprouted. I LOVE quinoa sprouts! If you want, I guess you could cook them, but that kills so many of the yummy nutrients. Add sprouts to salads, sandwiches, or grind in a recipe and dehydrate to make living bread. Lots of lovely recipes floating out there :) Sorry I don't have any.