Ancient Grains 2

Quinoa Two Ways: Sweet and Savory

Quinoa is one of the easiest and most delightful grains. You can enjoy this basic pot of quinoa as a savory side dish, or you can turn it into a simple pudding dessert. Since one cup dry makes three cups cooked, you might be able to have it both ways!

Savory Simple Quinoa to serve as a side dish

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quinoa, white, black, red or a mixture

2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbs. butter or olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

Rinse the quinoa very thoroughly. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the salt and rinsed quinoa and give a stir. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 15 minutes. If the quinoa hasn’t absorbed all of the water, drain it, then return the quinoa to the pot. (The liquid is quite nutritious and good – you could use it in soups.) Stir in the butter, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

Quinoa Pudding Dessert with Dried Fruits and Almonds

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Savory Simple Quinoa, recipe above,minus the pepper

1 cup soy or low fat milk

2 tsp. butter

2 tbs. honey or agave nectar, to taste

1/3 – 1/2 cup dried cherries or red flame raisins

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds

PREPARATION

Cook the quinoa as per recipe on left, but omit the pepper. Drain, and then return the quinoa to the pan. Stir in the milk, butter, honey, and dried fruit. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is plump. Feel free to add more milk if you want it to be soupier. Stir in the cinnamon.

Serve in a shallow bowl, dusted with additional cinnamon and garnished with the toasted, slivered almonds.

Rice and Celery Soup

Serves 4 – 5

There are so many interesting varieties of rice: sweet brown rice,which is starchier, the Kalijura rice from Bengal, which is tiny, and even wild rice for a more earthy effect. What you choose might depend on what you like, but also on time. Short-grain brown rice takes longer than long grain, for example. Celery – including its leaves – has so much flavor that this soup really doesn’t need a stock. Keep in mind that this will thicken as it sits and go from a soup to a potage.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cups long-grain brown rice or rice of your choice

sea salt and pepper

1 tbs. butter

1 cup chopped scallions or finely diced onion

3 tbs. chopped celery leaves and parsley leaves, mixed

2 cups diced celery

PREPARATION

Put the rice in a pot with 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes.

Melt the butter in a soup pot then add the scallions, most of the celery and parsley leaf mixture and cook for a few minutes. Add the celery, zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then give a turn, and cook over low heat for a few minutes longer.

Drain the cooked rice. Add enough liquid to the rice cooking water to make four cups, and then add it to the vegetables, along with the rice. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then taste to make sure the celery is done. It should be tender but still have plenty of color. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the remaining herbs added to each bowl.

1 small zucchini, diced into small cubes’

Barley and Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers

Serves 4

Barley is chewy and somewhat viscous, which reduces the amount of oil needed. There are many different kinds and colors of barley, though pearled is most common. Hulled offers more and better nutrition. Lemon, olive oil, plenty of fresh parsley, and whatever other herbs you may have on hand makes this a fresh and substantial salad. It keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and can easily be varied so that it doesn’t become boring to eat.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup hulled or pearled barley, rinsed

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained

1 tbs. olive oil

zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tbs. lemon juice

1 Persian cucumber, washed and chopped, or 1/2 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 scallion, including an inch of the greens, finely sliced

1/3 cup or more, chopped parsley

2 tbs. other herbs, such as dill, chives

PREPARATION

Put the barley in a saucepan with 1-1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, uncovered, until the barley is tender but still retains some bite, about 30 minutes, then let stand for 15 minutes. As it sits it will continue to absorb excess water.

Put the barley in a bowl with the chickpeas and remaining ingredients. Toss gently with a spatula, taste, and add more salt or lemon, as needed. Add freshly ground pepper and serve.

Some Variations: You can enjoy this salad in different ways by adding other ingredients, such as diced avocado, chopped fresh or roasted red bell pepper, or, to make it really more like a taboulleh, much, much more parsley. A little yogurt spooned into this salad is also good, and if you add a lot of buttermilk, you can turn it into a cold soup for a hot day.

September/October 2008