A tasty alternative to rice and pasta

Fluffy organic quinoa and diced tomatoes go beautifully with spice-covered fish.

I don't remember whether I was looking for more Kirkland Signature Saigon Ground Cinnamon or Organic Tomato Sauce when I came upon a 4-pound bag of Nature's Earthly Choice Organic Quinoa at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

I've seen whole-grain quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) in supermarkets, but not at Costco, so I finally decided to try it as an alternative to the brown rice and whole-wheat pasta I prepare at home.

It was a snap to make in an electric rice cooker: 

2 cups of the gluten-free, wheat-free seed; 4 cups of Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Stock and a 14.5-ounce can of Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes. 

I paired it with Costco's fresh, wild-caught cod fillets, which I coated in a homemade Super Spice Mixture and roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes.

The quinoa, which fluffed up in the rice cooker, had a pleasant nutty taste.

Hot cereal with quinoa and a banana.

 


This morning, I brought 4 cups of water to a boil and added cereal, oatmeal and quinoa, cooking them over low heat for 10 minutes.

The hot, flowing cereal included 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal, a half-cup of The Silver Palate Thick & Rough Oatmeal, a half-cup of quinoa, Goji Berries, Kirkland Signature Dried Cherries (with sugar and sunflower oil added), pine nuts and organic Blue Agave sweetener.

I wanted to use frozen wild blueberries instead of the tart cherries, but they had been in the freezer since before Superstorm Sandy, when I lost electricity for five days, and I decided to throw them out. 

A wild lox-and-cheese omelet with leftover quinoa, mashed squash and brown rice.

  

The 4-pound package of quinoa was $7.99 at Costco, and labeled "Product of Bolivia."

According to the package, "Quinoa, praised for its excellent nutritional profile, is an exceptional source of protein, containing eight amino acids, making quinoa an excellent option for people looking to reduce their consumption of meat."

This organic quinoa is pre-washed, so there's no need to soak or rinse it before cooking.

A quarter-cup serving of quinoa (2 ounces) has about the same amount of calories (155) as organic long-grain brown rice (150), but fewer carbohydrates (29 grams for quinoa v. 35 grams for Lundberg brown rice).

A quarter-cup serving of Colavita Whole Wheat Spaghetti has 200 calories and 42g of carbohydrates.

Lundberg brown rice has 3g of protein in a quarter-cup, compared to 6g of protein for quinoa and 7g for the whole-wheat pasta. 

  

The display at Costco Wholesale in Hackensack.

Comparing 100% whole wheat pastas

Two ounces of uncooked Colavita fusilli contain 20 milligrams of sodium.

100% whole wheat is the only pasta we eat.

Not all 100% whole wheat pastas are created equal.

Trader Joe's and Colavita make whole wheat pastas that taste as good, if not better, than conventional pasta.

But Trader Joe's has three advantages: 

It's made from organic durum whole wheat, it contains no salt and it is 10 cents cheaper than the imported Colavita pasta I buy at Jerry's Gourmet and More in Englewood ($1.39 v. $1.49).

Both come in 16-ounce packages, compared to the 13-ounce to 14-ounce packages of whole grain and whole wheat pasta sold in supermarkets for more money.

You can conserve water when cooking pasta.

I use only enough water to cover the pasta, instead of the 4 to 6 quarts called for on the packages, and I never salt the pasta water.

Colavita cooking times aren't as reliable as those listed by Trader Joe's. 

I usually drain the pasta a minute or two before it is al dente, and finish cooking it in the sauce.

One Colavita advantage is that it comes in more shapes, including capellini and fusilli.

The nutritional labels for 2 ounces are different, too:

Trader Joe's lists 210 calories, 15 from fat, while Colavita has 200 calories, 5 from fat.

Both list about the same carbohydrates and protein, but Trader Joe's pasta has 5 grams of dietary fiber to 2 grams for Colavita. 

Whole-wheat spaghetti with sardines, leeks, tomato and capers.

Minimize the salt, maximize the flavor

A less-salty version of pasta sauce with sardines eliminates anchovies.

But I added grated cheese, which has sodium, to my portion of rigatoni.

The biggest source of sodium in my hearty red pasta sauce with sardines is a 2-ounce can of anchovies -- so they were the first to go.

I've been adding anchovies to bottled pasta sauce for years to add a robustness without a fishy taste. The tiny fish completely dissolve in the bubbling sauce.

Instead of 32 ounces or 40 ounces of bottled sauce, I downsized to a 24-ounce jar of Classico Tomato and Basil, and that cut the amount of sodium further.

I poured the sauce over leeks I had sauteed in a large, non-stick pan with a glass cover; added red-pepper flakes and dried Italian herbs, and about 6 ounces of sodium-free extra-virgin olive oil.

I opened a can of Moroccan sardines with oil, drained them in a plastic colander and actually rinsed them under cold water to get rid of more salt.

I added them to the sauce and chopped them with a wooden spatula.

There is no need to salt the water or add more than enough to cover the pasta.

I cooked Colavita Whole Wheat Rigatoni ($1.49 for 16 ounces at Jerry's in Englewood) until a minute or two before it was al dente, drained it and finished cooking it in the sauce.

My wife gave me the thumbs up when she tried it, but I thought it could use a little more salt and added grated Pecorino Romano sheep's milk cheese to my portion.

Delicious. I drank a glass of Italian red wine to celebrate.

Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Sardines and Leeks.

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