Discover Quinoa

i decided to venture with a new grain Quinoa that was previously not in my repertoire of ingredients. i searched the web to find an interesting recipe but nothing really caught my fancy so i decided to concoct one:

Quinoa with Sauteed Peppers & Mango Chutney
Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water until each grain is separate. saute onions in olive oil in a saute pan. when translucent, add finely chopped garlic. add thinly sliced peppers - 1 each of red, yellow & orange. saute for 1-2 min. add 2-3 tbspns of mango chutney, salt, 1/8 cup of water & 1 tsp minced fresh mint leaves. blend this well for 1-2 min. add the cooked quinoa, turn the heat off & mix well. garnish with minced mint & chopped cilantro.

Few other ways to cook quinoa:

Quinoa, the Indian way
Saute onions until translucent. add finely chopped ginger & garlic & cook another 1-2 min. add chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric & chilli powder. cook until tomatoes soften. add rinsed quinoa & water. let this boil until water is almost gone. lower the heat & cover until quinoa is cooked.

Quinoa with squash & granny smith apples
saute diced squash & granny smith apple in olive oil. add walnuts & salt to taste. add cooked quinoa & mix well. sprinkle some crushed red pepper for a spicy twist.

Quinoa with sauteed spinach & pine nuts
saute garlic in olive oil until it caramelizes. add pine nuts & cook for 1 min. turn heat to high & add spinach. cook until spinach wilts. add cooked quinoa, salt to taste & mix well.

Quinoa with kumquats & harissa
saute shallots in olive oil & add diced kumquats once shallots are lightly browned. cook till kumquat is softened. add meyer lemon juice (key lime or orange juice will work too) & harissa. add cooked quinoa, salt to taste & mix well. this dish will have a nice tangy & spicy taste - you can add some honey to balance & add sweetness but that'll take away from this being a 'healthy' meal :)

Quinoa with sauteed leeks & kale
since it was a rather successful experiment, sharing out with friends & family. kale is very nutrient-rich & high fiber...this recipe is quick, very simple to prepare & a great way to break yourself into eating kale for those of you that are afraid of kale & its bitterness :)
saute 1 sliced leek in olive oil for 1-2 min. add 1/2-1 chopped jalapeno if you prefer spicy. add 1 bunch roughly chopped kale (or replace with any other hardy green such as chard) & saute for another 2 min, just until kale softens. turn off heat & add salt & pepper to taste. mix well. cook 1 cup quinoa separately & add to the sauteed greens. stir well & add finely chopped scallions & chives as garnish.

Don't know where to buy Quinoa? You can find Quinoa at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods markets or try your local natural food store.

Blood Orange Relish

i found this on foodtv.com & it was a big hit so wanted to share this:

Blood Orange Relish:
2 blood or navel oranges
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and cored
1/2 Granny Smith apple, diced small, about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (i substituted with cilantro leaves)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly toasted, optional
1 to 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cut both ends from the oranges. Stand them on a flat end and cut away all of the peel and white pith. Quarter them top to bottom. Lay the wedges on their sides and slice them thinly crosswise. Slice the fennel crosswise into very thin slices.
Gently toss the oranges, fennel, apple, parsley, fennel seeds and vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)

next time i want to try this combination but add some baby spinach leaves & use a curry vinaigrette to dress it up...

CIA inspired menu

tonight is the first time i'm entertaining since i took my CIA bootcamp almost 2 months ago. i wanted to share the menu with you, not the recipes yet as my guests will be arriving soon.

Appetizers:
Goan Avocado Dip with papaddum & banana chips
Romesco sauce with french baguette slices

Entrees:
Prawn Patio (Parsi style) with brown rice
Coriander/Cumin Lamb Chops with fresh mango chutney
Blood orange/fennel relish
brussels sprouts sauteed with mustard seeds & ginger

Dessert (not prepared by me):
Gulab Jamun with vanilla gelato
Chocolate gelato for the chocoholics

French Beans & Squash, South Indian style

Get frozen french beans (i prefer the french cut as they're most tender). Cut butternut squash into 1/2" dice. do a tadka of olive oil, mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, urad dal & chana dal. when mustard seeds start popping, add squash. let cook 2 min & add the french beans. add salt to taste, ginger paste & chopped green chillies. cook another 2-3 min on medium high heat. add chopped fresh cilantro just before serving.

Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus

i decided to re-engineer Risotto with brown rice to create a healthy but still flavorful version. here's what i did:

Ingredients:

chopped onion
garlic minced
1.5 cups Brown Rice (you can used mixed varieties or just one)
3/4 cup White Wine
Vegetable Stock
Asparagus
Shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
garlic chives (feel free to substitute with any aromatic herb you prefer - fresh basil would taste great in my opinion)
white truffle oil
sea salt to taste

Note: all measurements are highly approximate and intended to provide guidance to a mature, seasoned cook. so typically, just use common sense while measuring and also adjust according to taste.

heat olive oil & add chopped onions. heat the stock & keep on low heat. saute until onions are translucent but don't let them brown. add garlic & saute for another 1-2 min. add the rice & mix well. add white wine & cook until rice is almost dry. add 1/2 cup stock at a time & keep on simmer. cook until rice is 3/4 done. this will take approx 45 min, a little longer than with white rice. you can prep until this stage & finish up the rest just prior to serving. add 1/2 cup veg stock, asparagus, salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper. when rice and asparagus are done (3-4 min approx) add garlic chives and cheese. when serving, drizzle with truffle oil, sprinke chives & some fresh coarse ground pepper. serve immediately.

Tip: you can either cook the asparagus in the risotto as per instructions above or alternatively microwave or steam until done (i like to leave a little crunchy). in that case, just fold the asparagus in right at the end along with the cheese.

the end result was just plain ambrosia and i personally liked it more than the usual arborio rice version. the brown rice added a nutty, chewy texture which i find missing in the arborio rice. the only mistake i made was using frozen Asparagus tips from Trader Joe's coz they were handy but next time i would certainly use fresh asparagus. no doubt, it was the truffle oil that put the taste over the top so i strongly recommend NOT missing this step. you can buy truffle oil online or at a Trader Joe's near you. If you're lucky, you may find a local gourmet food store that sells imported high-quality truffle oil (like i am, in fact Seattle has a little store in Pike Place Market that sells all things made with truffles only;)