Late Spring

Summer paid us a brief visit, but now it's cool and wet again. I think my vegetable garden is doing better than my day lilies (see below!), but since it's been so rainy, I really haven't been out there to check on it much!

I've been trying out a few recipes from a cookbook Full of Flavor by Maria Elia who also wrote Smashing Plates. I found it in the sale area at my local independent bookstore and thought her approach was interesting. She gathers recipes around some of her favorite flavors (many of which also happen to be some of my favorites) and encourages the reader to improvise a little.

One of my goals in teaching cooking is to give others the confidence to know that they can deviate from the written recipe, so I thought I'd experiment with this book a little. The first recipe up was this one which, of course, I had to change around some and adapt to what I had on hand. I used spring onions instead of onion and added some diced up radishes and red cabbage to the mix to avoid some food waste. I used a mix of herbs as we are cilantro soap tasters around here and a very little goes a long way for us. In addition to a tiny sprig of cilantro, I used some lemon verbena, mint, and lemon balm. We topped the salad with Israeli feta and the almonds that Elia calls for. Quite good!

Yes, this deer is eating all the heads off of my day lilies

No Crust Quiche-Like Food

I have read many a kale recipe over the last few years, and many an article in a food publication touting kale as not only a superfood but one that any proper food lover should embrace.  In my house, however, we simply call this dish "no-crust quiche," because, really, despite all its hype and hoopla, most people still turn their noses up and their taste buds off at the sound of the dreaded "K word." My husband is a perfect example of such a person.  I have served kale in all its varieties and all its splendor and blogged about it several times.  However, my unscientific tests have shown that if I say a dish has kale in it, it receives a much frostier response than it would if the taster thought the green bits were something other... say, spinach, maybe.  Not that anyone is actually fooled, but at least I don't have to see sad faces at the beginning of dinner.

So, in order to ensure that this dish got its fair shot (I won't even address the quinoa issue), I renamed it for my family's purposes.  In actuality, this is Hilarybee's famous Quinoa and Kale Crustless Quiche from food52, and there is a reason that so many love it.

I recommend it highly, for those times when you think you'd like a quiche-y kind of eggy thing without all the fat.  Don't get me wrong, this is not completely virtuous, what with some cream cheese and cheddar, but it's got all the satisfaction of a full-on quiche without the crust, many fewer eggs, and no cream.

I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese with no loss of creaminess and I also like to grate a little cheddar over top to brown.  Last time I made this, I used Cotswold cheddar, the one with the bits of chives in it, and it was delicious.  I like to use lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale) for this.  You can even use frozen kale, just thaw it in a strainer and then press out all the water.

A couple of other tips: first, don't skimp on the onions (in fact, add more if you like them); and, second, make extra quinoa to keep in your refrigerator for a quick salad later in the week.  Although Hilarybee recommends this be served hot or room temperature, I much prefer it hot out of the oven, when the cream cheese is oozy and, well, creamy.  Leftovers are delicious microwaved to that same state of creaminess.

Many thanks, Maddy, for the beautiful photos!

Quinoa Musings

The very first thing you need to know about quinoa is how to pronounce it (keen'-wah). Not at all intuitive, is it? I find that many more people know about quinoa when they see it written than when they hear it spoken. Once they realize I'm talking about "queen-o-a", it's all good.

The second thing about quinoa, at least for those of you observing Passover, and particularly for those of you who observe Passover following Ashkenazi rules (no rice), is that it is Kosher for Passover (* at least those brands that are processed and packaged in facilities dedicated to quinoa and no other grains so there is no cross contamination. I have found references stating that Ancient Harvest and Trader Joe's brands are compliant).

Third, quinoa is wheat and gluten free! Although it acts and tastes much like a grain and while generally referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually the seed of a leafy plant, related to the beet family.

What's most important about quinoa, however, is that it is a versatile, extremely healthy food that just happens to taste great.

When I first started making quinoa dishes, my husband asked if it was just invented. Although newer to our American markets, quinoa is an ancient food, used by the Incas, who referred to it as the "mother grain" as it was so important to their culture. Nutritionally, it is considered a complete protein as it contains all 8 essential amino acids as well as many other nutrients. According to the package of quinoa I have now, the National Academy of Sciences calls it "one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable world."

One of the brands that I have right now, Ancient Harvest, is organic and comes in both the traditional cream color and "Inca Red." The flavor is not much different, but I often mix the two for a variety of color in a dish. I also have another brand, Alter Eco, which is a Fair Trade quinoa from the Anapqui cooperative in Bolivia. Lately, I've seen quinoa in all the regular supermarkets as well as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and my natural food store.

I once had a quinoa salad at Le Pain Quotidien which was little more than a pile of quinoa with a VERY light vinaigrette and some sprouts. I loved it, but I'm pretty sure not too many other people would. I know no one else in my family would like it so bare. I like to saute onions or shallots, garlic and vegetables in olive oil to add to the quinoa, which gives it a little more interest as a side dish. You can also easily use plain quinoa in lieu of rice with a saucy dish.

Most quinoa needs to be rinsed before cooking, but Ancient Harvest brand states that it is pre-washed and needs no rinsing. Quinoa cooks quickly, in about 10 - 15 minutes. The box instructions advise cooking 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and after bringing the quinoa and water to a boil, reducing to a simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. I like to cook it on the shorter side to maintain a little more of a crunchy mouth feel. After about 10 minutes, I check the pot and see if the grain has become translucent. I taste it gingerly, as the stock or water is hot, and if it's too crunchy, I leave it to simmer a couple of minutes more. When it is done, the individual grains should be translucent and you should be able to see a "ring" around the edge. That is the germ of the grain. If the quinoa is fully cooked and you still have water in the pan, you can always get rid of the remaining water by draining over a fine mesh colander or sieve (fine as you don't want the grains to run right through with the water). If you don't mind taking the extra step of draining the quinoa, you can use even more water than called for on the box. For extra flavor you can substitute low sodium chicken or vegetable stock for the water.

I really like quinoa alongside or even incorporated into a vinaigrette based salad - the slaw I wrote about earlier works really well. I've also done it in summer with cut up grape tomatoes, cooked cannelini or fava beans and some basil with a vinaigrette. In winter, it would be great with some diced, roasted butternut squash and some dried cranberries with a little thyme vinaigrette.

This time of year, almost spring, I like a mix of onion, asparagus and shiitake mushrooms. However, when I went to buy asparagus earlier today, it was only available imported from Peru. While this would be a nice complement to the Bolivian quinoa, I opted for a really pretty, tiny head of U.S. grown Napa cabbage. The combination of shiitake mushrooms, onion and either asparagus or cabbage can easily take on an Asian feel with the addition of a little soy sauce , a dash or two of sesame oil once off the heat, and a garnish of crushed peanuts or cashews. As I was making mini meatloaves, I instead chose to use just a touch of hot pepper to spice up the mix.

Quinoa with (Almost) Caramelized Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms and Napa Cabbage
(serves 4)
1 cup quinoa (I used a mix of the traditional cream colored with a handful of Inca Red thrown in)
2 1/2 cups water or low sodium chicken or vegetable stock, plus a few tablespoonsful for the vegetables
1 large onion. halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces (1 small package) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
salt, to taste
dash cayenne or Aleppo pepper
1. Heat a saute pan on medium heat. When pan is warm, add 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil to pan. Add the sliced onions and a dash of salt and let them cook, stirring occasionally (about 10 - 15 minutes).
2. Put quinoa and stock or water in a saucepan and set on a burner on a medium-high flame. When the mix comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover. Make sure to check in ten minutes as described above. When the quinoa is done, drain and put into a large bowl.
3. Cook the onions until they look like this

4. Then lower the heat to medium -low and add the garlic and mushrooms. Once they have softened, about 3 minutes, add the cabbage (or you could easily substitue lightly steamed asparagus cut in 2 inch pieces). Stir for about three minutes. If the vegetables seem dry, add a few tablespoons stock or water and stir some more.
5. Add salt to taste. Add a dash of cayenne or Aleppo pepper.
6. Add vegetables to the quinoa and mix well. Taste for salt and serve.