Quinoa

Welcome to the Foodie Post! If I can organise myself this should be a regular spot as requested by (some of) you! I had quite a few comments here and on face book about quinoa so I thought I'd use this post to introduce it to those of you who have never heard of it before.

Quinoa - pronounced keen-wha - is actually a seed, not a grain, and is gluten free. So if you are cutting back or excluding those items from your diet, quinoa is very useful. I regularly use it as a rice or couscous substitute. It comes from South America and has for years been a diet staple of indigenous peoples there. The brand I buy is called Granovita, which is a fair-trade company. There has recently been some controversy about the increased demand for this foodstuff world-wide, apparently pushing up prices and making it too expensive for the people who grow it to eat it. There are several sides to this   debate, but I will include a link to an article my musical friend Marj sent me this morning, and you may read and follow it up as you please. I think paying the growers a fair price for their labours is an equally  strong argument, and I am about to investigate an English firm who have been growing quinoa for years, to see if that is worth following up.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

Darn it, I didn't get the name of the company in! But you have it above anyway. Pictured also is the stock I used to cook it. The instructions tell you to rinse well, and add to twice its volume of boiling salted water. Cook over a moderate heat until the germ separates- about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover, leaving it to absorb the remaining water. May be served hot or cold.

Today I cooked it as I would risotto. I prepared my veggie basics and sautéed them until soft, then I added my spices - za'atar, grated turmeric and mixed peppercorns.

I then added my quinoa and stirred to coat the grains, and poured over my stock. This is what the uncooked seed looks like. A bit larger than couscous, slightly smaller than barley, I'd say.

A quick turn round the garden found a handful of herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and some Moroccan mint. The sage is a bit on the sparse side as it is from an old bush which is past its best!

As the quinoa absorbed the stock I added a little more water, then covered the pan until the water was gone and the quinoa was cooked and fluffy. About half an hour. Meanwhile I had steamed some broccoli and cauliflower, and shredded some spinach.

Here is what the quinoa looked like when first cooked, close up.

And here is the finished dish, with the spinach and the cooked veggies stirred into it.

And very nice it was too! We ate it as a side dish to some stewed lamb. Not the cheapest of 'grains' so if you are being very frugal, one to miss perhaps. However, a good substitute if you are grain free, and I shall let you make your own minds up about the ethics involved. Do let me know what you feel about it http://hodmedods.co.uk/blog/hodmedods-british-grown-quinoa-update/

Vegan Feast

So, in the pursuit of grain-free, dairy-free, low-ish carb meals, I have been looking lately at lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes. We aren't giving up meat or fish, or eggs, but I'm finding that starting from a vegan base is giving me lots of ideas for creating interesting meals which tick all my boxes. Then I can modify if I wish, and add whatever I feel we might like in the way of omnivorous eating - or not, as the case might be.

Here you see a large dish which is strictly vegan. Avocado chunks bathed in lemon-juice and olive oil. Sticks of carrot and mooli - a type of radish. And a heap of quinoa laced with extra virgin olive oil and finely grated garlic.

Added to this I made a bowl of hummus, dressed with olive oil and sprinkled with a spice mix called za'atar. Now together with the platter above, this would make a pleasing light lunch.

I also added a dish of roasted veggies - butternut squash, red and yellow and green peppers, aubergine, and onions Lots of extra vitamins here, and the meal becomes more substantial.

However, it was Saturday night, so we had some finger-licking chicken wings which I marinaded in oil and herbs before roasting along side the veggies. As a special treat I added a naan bread each.

So we veered away from vegan/veggie a little, and popped a few grains in with the naan bread, but it made a really interesting and satisfying meal for two, with quite a few left-overs. And before you say that quinoa is a grain - yes, you are right , but it is virtually gluten free, and a great substitute for rice or pasta. Added to which, this is the kind of meal I really enjoy preparing, and it is so easy to double up on the ingredients to feed a few more mouths.

 I'm wondering whether to include a regular foodie post each month - what do you think? I'm not starting a food blog, but there have been a few foodie posts over the past year and you seem to have enjoyed them. It has become a bit of a habit too, to keep the camera in the kitchen, and Jim often sees a good photo-opportunity before I do!

I'd also say, food like this can be served all year round, it is pleasing to the eye, and fills up the tum nicely. You may like to whip the roast veggies out of the oven a LITTLE sooner than I did - they were just beginning to catch - as I'm sure you all spotted!  Now I am away to bask in the sense of self-righteousness for having got a second post out within the space of THREE DAYS!!! (but don't hold your breath until the next one!)