QUINOA WITH CIDER-GLAZED CARROTS

Posted in Rice and Grains, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

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I’ ve had plenty of versions of quinoa in the past, but this one takes the number one spot. The carrots added a sweet-sour note, the thinly sliced almonds a delicious crunch, and the quinoa married them together with its light and refreshing nature. Cannot praise this dish enough. I was inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit, and decided to come up with a version to be served hot instead of cold, but with similar flavors. If you are searching for a recipe to please vegetarians or a perfect side dish for pork, poultry, perhaps a thick slab of grilled salmon, look no further. This is perfect!

QUINOA WITH CIDER-GLAZED CARROTS AND ALMONDS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by Bon Appetit)

1 cup quinoa, very well rinsed and drained
salt
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
2 Tbsp apple cider
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 450°. Bring quinoa and 4 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa mixture to saucepan, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl; let cool.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with oil (or cover it with parchment paper). Whisk cider and honey in a large bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Add carrots and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the almonds and cook over low heat until fragrant. Set aside, keeping it warm.

Whisk vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Add carrots and almonds to quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Drizzle the vinegar & lemon mixture and mix well tp combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you are new to cooking the seeds of Chenopodium quinoa, please remember to rinse them extensively. The seeds have a natural coating of saponins that taste very bitter. Processing the seeds for sale includes pre-washing, but you will notice that the water still foams slightly once you soak the seeds. A couple of years ago, I read somewhere that quinoa goes rancid very easily, so the advice given was to store it for no more than 6 months (or freeze it). I tried to find a source for this information, but now I find plenty of sites stating that it lasts for several years in the pantry. Oh, well. I guess one can always open the bag and do a sniff test.

Cooked quinoa freezes very well, so you can prepare a full bag and portion it in the freezer for later. I actually cooked it on a Saturday and made this recipe for our dinner on Tuesday. Pork tenderloin kebabs completed the meal, but the truth is we both raved about the quinoa a lot more. Bonus: we got our intake of carrots all taken care of! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Celebrate Wednesday: Heirloom Tomatoes Steal the Show

TWO YEARS AGO: Pain de Provence

THREE YEARS AGO: Golspie Loaf, from the Scottish Highlands

6Mar2013

FARRO SALAD WITH ROASTED LEEKS

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I suppose this could go to my “work in progress” folder. But, Phil liked it exactly this way, so I decided to share the recipe adding possible tweaks in the comments. One important thing to mention: although this is a salad, it’s equally good served warm. Those of you still in sub-zero temperatures and avoiding even to glance at a salad plate don’t need to shy away from it. In fact, we enjoyed it hot on the first day piled up next to a juicy flank steak, grilled medium-rare. Comme il faut... 😉

FARRO SALAD WITH LEEKS, CHICKPEAS AND CURRANTS
(adapted from The New York Times)

2 large leeks, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
1 Tablespoon olive oil + 1/8 cup, divided
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 can of chickpeas, drained (15 oz)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1 cup dry farro
1/3 cup dried currants
2 celery stalks, diced

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using a large rimmed baking sheet, toss leeks with 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread leeks out in a single layer and roast, tossing frequently, until golden brown and crisp at the edges, about 20 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas and add them to a pot with boiling water for a couple of seconds. Drain again, dry well. In a large bowl, toss leeks with chickpeas, lemon juice and zest, chile flakes and salt to taste. Stir in 1/8 cup olive oil. Let marinate while you prepare the farro.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook farro until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Toss with chickpeas mixture. Stir in currants and diced celery. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe was written for 2 cups of farro, definitely too much for the two of us. I halved the recipe, keeping all ingredients in the same proportion, but considerably reducing the olive oil. I was shocked to see the amount called for in the recipe. For two cups of dried farro, they used 2/3 cup of olive oil in the dressing. Keep in mind that 1/4 cup had already been poured just to roast the leeks. It amounts to 1,700 calories (> 800 for half the recipe) just in the oil component! Thanks, but no thanks. I used a tiny amount of oil to roast the leeks, and only 1/8 cup for the whole dressing. If you like your salad heavier on the oil, I suggest drizzling some more at the very end, before serving.

Now my possible modifications for a future version. I think raisins would have been better than currants. And, for my personal taste, the roasted leeks overpowered the dish. When I make it again, I will use raisins, increase the amount of celery, and reduce the amount of leeks. That will be a real winner for me.

ONE YEAR AGO: Watercress Salad

TWO YEARS AGO: Carrot and Sweet Potato Puree’

THREE YEARS AGO: Croissants: Paris at home on a special day

20Oct2012

AN ORANGE FRAME OF MIND

Posted in Rice and Grains by sallybr

Orange food seems to be on everybody’s mind these days, perhaps to match the color of the leaves, with their beautiful shades of red and gold. Most maple trees in town are already completely red, but from my office’s window on campus, I see a very special tree, one that gets a few more red leaves each day. I like to think it is putting up a special show for me, a newcomer to the Little Apple… 😉 Let me share with you a few recipes to celebrate the season, the first is a new one, and the others come from the Bewitching archives. An array of golden dishes to hopefully inspire you…

RICE PILAF WITH CARROTS AND PARLSEY
(adapted from Martha Rose Shulman)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 cup basmati rice
a pinch of saffron
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable stock
Salt to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Rinse the rice well to remove excess starch. Drain well, and reserve. Heat the water and stock together in a microwave until very hot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add the carrots, fennel, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the rice and the saffron. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are well coated with oil and beginning to crackle. Add the hot water and stock and bring to a boil. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust salt if necessary. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Uncover the rice and place a clean towel over the top of the pan, but don’t let it touch the rice. Put the lid back, and let the rice sit for 10 minutes. Add the parsley, fluffy the rice with a fork, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This pilaf is extremely delicious and good for you, a combination that is always welcome at our table. Fennel and saffron were not in the original recipe, but I think they worked better with the other flavors than onions would. Feel free to include onions and garlic, Phil and I are part of the minority who uses those ingredients quite sparingly.

For some more orange glow on your table….
(click on the title for the original post)

CARROT AND SWEET POTATO PUREE

CARAMELIZED CARROT SOUP

KURI SQUASH SOUP

CHICKPEA SALAD

CARROT NIB ORZO

SWEET ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GREENS OVER PASTA

PEACH PIE

ONE YEAR AGO: San Francisco Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: A Real Oscar Winner (two years with the sweetest dog in the world!)

THREE YEARS AGO: Pane Siciliano

29Jun2012

SUNNY KAMUT SALAD WITH ROASTED LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Posted in Rice and Grains, Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

If you have cholesterol-issues, omit the egg on top, otherwise go for it! I actually do a lighter version of the “sunny-side-up” using a trick I read somewhere last year. I spray a very small amount of olive oil on a non-stick pan, once it’s very hot I place the egg, and season it with salt and pepper. When the bottom part is setting up, I quickly pour 1 tablespoon of water on the side of the egg, and cover the pan with a lid. It works best with a lid smaller than the frying pan, so that the egg is fully enclosed by a shot of steam. This makes the top of the yolk set nicely without that slimy white that turns most people off… and the amount of fat in this “pseudo-fried” egg is pretty negligible. Eggs are a great source of protein, and since I have super low cholesterol, I enjoy them many times per week. And now, let’s go straight to the heart of the matter…

SUNNY KAMUT SALAD WITH ROASTED LEMON VINAIGRETTE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

to cook the grain:
1 cup kamut , soaked in water (6 hours to overnight)
4 cups water for cooking
1/2 tsp salt

recipe for dressing:
click here

for the salad:
asparagus, finely sliced in tiny “coins”
diced tomatoes
diced cucumber
sliced celery stalks

Cook the soaked kamut by mixing it with water and salt in a saucepan, bringing it to a boil and gently simmering it for 45 minutes to 1 hour (taste to decide when it’s fully cooked, but don’t let it get mushy). Once the grain is cooked to your liking, drain the water. Cool it to room temperature.

Make the salad dressing as described in the “roasted lemon vinaigrette” link. Reserve.

Add the asparagus, cucumbers, and celery slices to a small bowl, moisten with some of the salad dressing, mixing to lightly coat the veggies. Amounts are flexible, use as much or as little of each veggie as you feel like.

When ready to serve the salad, mix the cooked kamut with the veggie/vinaigrette mixture, add the tomatoes, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you like, add some lemon zest on top. Enjoy it as a side dish for meats, or with a “figure-friendly” sunny-side egg on top. It is also excellent all by itself.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Kamut is a close relative to farro, so you can use either one. Sometimes farro is hard to find, whereas I never have any trouble getting kamut. I am quite fond of salads made with grains because they are filling, nutritious, and lighter than most types of side-dishes one would pair with meat.

Is this post coming from the new Bewitching Kitchen? No, not yet. Life is extremely frantic and won’t get much better in the near future. Until the dust settles, I will be publishing posts from stuff made before our move. Rest assured, there will be quite a bit of blog-noise when the first post from the new kitchen is up! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Pane de Casa & Crostini

TWO YEARS AGO: Down-home Dig-in Chili (fantastic recipe, by the way!)

THREE YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Rolls

13Apr2012

SPRINGTIME SPINACH RISOTTO

Posted in Rice and Grains by sallybr

Because there’s no such thing as too many risotto recipes, I share with you this version, made more special because I used spinach freshly harvested by our friends and neighbors (the ones with the green thumb). I took one small shortcut by using a frozen bag of peas and carrots. We always have those in the freezer because they are handy additions to rice, pasta, and soups. And I wanted a bit of orange color to add contrast to the dish.

SPRINGTIME SPINACH RISOTTO
(inspired by Martha Stewart‘s Everyday Food)

.
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
10 ounces of spinach, finely chopped
8 ounces frozen carrots and peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter

Combine chicken broth and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and keep at a low simmer (you may not need to use the full amount of liquid). In a medium saucepan, preferably wide and with round edges, heat the olive oil and add the minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper, cook until soft and translucent. Add the rice, and cook until it starts to get a little color, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly so the grains don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Add wine; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 2 big ladles of hot chicken broth, and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for liquid to be absorbed before adding more, stirring occasionally, until rice is just tender and creamy with a little liquid remaining in the pan, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach, peas, carrots, and finish with the butter. Adjust seasoning if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This risotto could be a meal in itself, but we enjoyed it with grilled boneless chicken breasts. We do like some meat with our dinner, even if risotto-purists disagree. I thought about making risotto cakes with the leftovers, but ran out of gas and simply re-warmed it in the microwave. Not a real risotto anymore, but still a pretty tasty side dish! 😉

I used frozen peas and carrots for this recipe, but would not use frozen spinach – you need the texture of the fresh leaves that get barely cooked in the final moments of the preparation. A squeeze of lemon juice, and a dusting with lemon zest would not hurt it either…

ONE YEAR AGO: The end of green bean cruelty

TWO YEARS AGO: Torta di Limone e Mandorle