Another recipe quickie. This has been put on my meal plan every other week since we have been home. It’s quite adaptable if you know what you like to eat and can mix it up depending on the contents of your fridge.
Last year I discovered quinoa after spending quite a few shopping hours with a friend who enjoys a plant based diet. I had obscurely bought a packet from the dispensers at the organic shop and left it in my cupboard for months.
Then in December, my hubby had to have a massive dietary overhaul and we’ve had to look into upping his fibre intake, as well as reducing red meat. (The latter was mostly a weight loss concern, and not an affliction of meat eaters in general). While he’s generally happy to eat the same meal day in and day out- which was helpful for the 5 nights a week I’m working- I couldn’t bear the thought of 3 tins of tuna and 12 eggs being the piéce de resistance on my shopping list.
Knowing I had a kilogram of quinoa sitting in my clipboard, I manned up to a (random, small) challenge, and googled it- to try and figure out why it’s so popular with vegans, how to cook it, and what to serve it with.
It turns out you can cook it a little bit like basmati rice- into boiling water, reduce the heat so it simmers, and cook it slowly for 10 minutes. It’s a simple staple which can be expounded on. And yes, it ias higher in fibre than the couscous hubby used to enjoy, with a significantly higher protein content than other cereals. Plus it has a bit of a nuttiness to it that makes it an interesting staple.
I’ve discovered the tri-colour variety, and it’s only Beth who doesn’t like it in our house nowadays.
It’s a ‘one pot wonder’ that doesn’t require all the pots and pans to be used and you can make it for a family meal, or take along to a pot luck/bring-and-share gathering and there are several excellent additions you can make to suit your taste.
This was last nights bowl:
• 250 ml raw quinoa, boiled in salted water for 10 minutes.
•1 spring onion, sliced.
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced. Be sure to add the juice drippings to your bowl.
• 1 large handful fresh coriander/cilantro.
• A very generous amount of sliced green and black olives.
• 1 lime, zest grated, and juices into the bowl.
• 1 red pepper, roasted, then peeled and lastly diced.
•6 pieces of sundried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
• 100ml olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
On the side, (because the kids don’t love this) I added Paris (button) mushrooms sautéed in butter, some oil from the bottle of marinated artichokes, and lime juice, as well as some marinated artichokes and chopped capers. You can mix these into the bowl.
Normally I add 200g chickpeas but we had leftover steak last night so I ommited the chickpeas. Sometimes I use soya sauce and lemon juice with olive oil to season the salad, instead of lime, and any fresh herbs work well-like parsley, basil, or even mint will add a different level. You can alternate between spring onion, shallots or even red onion sliced very fine if you don’t object to onion.
In theory you shouldn’t need an extra source of protein if you use quinoa, but if you happen to have some leftover roast chicken, it certainly won’t go amiss among the tomatoes and capers and fresh fruit.
Other ingrediants that you can add to the bowl include:
Courgette, diced and sautéed; gherkins (cornichons); feta cheese; walnuts (which go really nicely with dried apricots if you enjoy a sweetness to your meal); toasted sesame seeds as well as toasted sunflower seeds add an interesting texture to your meal.
The ingrediants listed above was enough for the 4 of us for dinner, although it keeps for 5 days so you can store it in the fridge if you want.
I know I may not be the queen of simple recipes- I suspect I over complicate your lives with my multiple ingredient recipes to the extent that you’d rather not try it. Sometimes I agree- less is more, and sometimes it’s just about capturing the perfect mix of ingredients that work well together. If you’re ever in doubt, I use my ‘country rule’: do the ingredients you want to use grow naturally in the same region, and if you can say yes, then the chances of them enhancing your meal should work well enough.
In saying goodbye, I feel I should warn you- I have 3 other unfinished pieces on my draft folder, so if you hear from me too much this week, I apologise. Somewhere in all my silly scribblings, is a real newsletter. Well- as much news as I can generate while sitting at home and watching the summer arrive.
I do hope that you are keeping well. I send you off with my best wishes and loads of love,
Love
Me.
Xx
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 