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/
Good post Lynne. I am not overkeen on the flavour of quinoa so don't use it often, but thanks for the links ~ really good information and definitely worth knowing. By the way, Marigold is my favourite stock powder. I use it everyday! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Inara - do you know, I hadn't really tasted much of a flavour to the quinoa, but I shall make a point of noting it next time! And to be honest, the stock flavours everything anyway. Yes, I like Marigold and have used it for years. Lxxx
DeleteI'm always a bit surprised that quinoa is still such a secret to a lot of people. I agree with you that it's not the cheapest thing to buy but taking to account the protein and nutrients in it it's good value for money, especially if it's the main focus of the meal.
ReplyDeleteHi and thanks for commenting. Yes, I think it is a bit hit and miss in the supermarkets - I couldn't find it in Sainsbury's yesterday but I Know I have bought it there, and often it isn't available elsewhere too. I think it is very good value for money, and does make a great change, [articularly if you are gluten intolerant. Lx
ReplyDeleteI love Quinoa too.
ReplyDeleteExcuse my ignorance, but, what is 'za'atar?
I've got most of the ingredients for this rissoto style dish but, no Quinoa left LOL!
Thanks for sharing xxx
Hi Sandie, thanks for visiting! We had quite a bloggy discussion about za'atar a few posts ago - if you scroll down you should come across it.But basically it is a spice mix you can buy online from Amazon if not in the shops. I get a brand just called Palestinian Za'atar a small family run firm. It contains, thyme, sumac, sesame, sea salt and olive oil. (though it is a dry spice.) Smells mainly of a slightly curry-ish thyme!
DeleteI haven't tried this yet but shall have to give it a go. I sometimes cook couscous but unless it's spiced up and seasoned well it can be a bit bland. I guess it's pretty much the same with quinoa but I won't know unless I try. Watch this space. Look forward to more foodie blogs. Great Idea Lynne.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
Hi Patricia, well, I think any carb if it is unseasoned is pretty bland! Mashed spud without butter and salt? Pasta or rice without salt - and even with, it requires a sauce to make it tasty. So I don't know that quinoa is any different there. Which is why I cook it - and cous cous - with stock every time. I'm going to try and do a regular monthly foodie spot - lots of my posts seemed to be about food anyway! Lx
DeleteSpicy quinoa and stewed lamb sounds divine, i could definitely give it a go but my hubby just wont have cous cous, bulgar or quinoa, he says its the bitty texture he doesnt like, yet he loves rice and pasta! We both love lamb cooked in any way. Looking forward to more of your foodie posts. Xx
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, well you know texture is almost as important as taste to some people, my grandson is VERY particular about textures in his food. And rice is somehow a larger grain and also clumps together more than quinoa. Never mind, you could make a batch and freeze it in small portions and have yourself a little side dish- you can have it cold with salad! Lx
DeleteI love Quinoa, it has a delicate nutty taste, I have been over to hodmedods, that is a Norfolk snail so why have a hedgehog logo, and signed up for the newsletter. I intend to buy the box so I can try some of everything. The recipe section looks good and I plan on trying some of the dishes.
ReplyDeletePam, I believe they say that hodmedods has 3 different meanings in east Anglia, but in general, it refers to something which spirals - ie the snail, and the hedgehog which rolls itself up...something like that anyway, I read on heir facebook page! I am getting some fava beans and some quinoa from them. I love the idea they are local and the quinoa is fairly local as ell.
DeleteWell I stood in front of all the spices in Sainsbury's trying to remember the name of the spice you mentioned (za'atar) and came home with ras el hanout! oops! However the mixture of spices in that sound delicious too so I'll just have to experiment a bit.
ReplyDeleteKate I got my za'atar online. I have never seen it anywhere else. Mind you, ras en hanout is lovely! And to be honest, any spice mix works just fine.
DeleteThis looks great, I looove quinoa. I use the same bouillon as you too :)
ReplyDeleteHi Becca, thanks for popping across! I'm waiting to see what the Hodmedods version is like - should solve all the ethical problems!
DeleteYum! I love the stuff. Here we often haven it with fresh skinned and chopped tomatoes and a spoonful of pesto as a quick lunch dish :)
ReplyDeleteSounds good, Annie! Sorry late to publish this - have been tied up with mum issues this last couple of weeks - not brilliant, must get a post done soon! xx
DeleteIt seems longer than usual between posts... are you all right?
ReplyDeleteHi Edwina, thanks so much for asking! My mum (nearly 92, infirm, Alzheimers etc etc) fell and broke her hip last Tuesday. It has been a constant back and forth to hospital and then I went and caught a head cold which has exacerbated my asthma and also a ittle touch of bronchitis developing to be nipped in the bud> All conspired to leave me feeling like a dish rag! New post comming soon, I promise!xx
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