I've just returned from a week at the Noble Disaster Preparedness
Training Facility at Fort McClellend, Alabama and spent a week *pigging
out* at their mess hall. Perhaps because it is so small or perhaps all
those federal dollars but it was one of the nicest, tastiest mess halls
I've even visited. The food was very well prepared and tasty and the
staff remarkably friendly. They offered two entrees to choose from each
night as well as *fresh* vegetables cooked perfectly and appropriate
starches. I felt I was watching a comedy at one point when the two guys
I was eating with one night kept raving about the vegetables like two
little old ladies. We asked the staff and they confirmed it was all
cooked from fresh raw vegetables. Then there was the dessert. Oh my..
just one cake/pie/cobbler selection each night with the standard soft
serve ice cream machine. The cakes looked like someones grandmother had
made them, not an industrial kitchen. I think I came home with five
more pounds than I left....

I came home to a spotless house and needed to cook a nice meal to get
back in the swing of things as well as to thank my husband for holding
the fort down so well while I was gone. I've wanted to try some quinoa
for some time and found this recipe on Chow. What a wonderful
introduction to quinoa! I used Penzeys garam masala, and doubled the
onions because we like them so. Oddly it uses a little (very little)
sesame oil to saute the vegetables in which isn't a normal use for
sesame oil but it worked well. I've always used sesame oil more as
condiment or flavoring, but not a cooking oil. Along with this I made
some falafel to be served with a simple tomato/cucumber salad and a
chocolate cake with peanut butter icing using that dehydrated peanut
powder I wrote about months ago. I even had it all ready when he first
came home ( the "blue collar dinner hour" as he calls it) which made him
a happy camper indeed.

So if you've even thought of wanting to try quinoa, I offer up this
recipe and hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

Indian Quinoa Salad
From: The Real Food Daily Cookbook: Really Fresh, Really Good, Really
Vegetarian, by Ann Gentry
Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup currants
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
5 scallions white and green parts, thinly sliced diagonally
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Rinse the quinoa well and drain. Heat a large, heavy skillet over
medium heat. Add the quinoa and
stir constantly for 10 minutes, or until the moisture evaporates and the
quinoa is fragrant, dry,
and golden.

2. Combine 3 cups of the water, 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, and the
salt in a large, heavy
saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the toasted quinoa and
return to a boil. Cover and
decrease the heat to medium low. Simmer gently without stirring for 15
minutes, or until the liquid
evaporates and the grains are tender.

3. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 1 cup water to a simmer in a small
saucepan. Remove from the heat,
add the currants, and soak for 20 minutes, or until plump. Drain well.

4. Heat sesame oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the
celery, bell pepper, and
remaining 1 teaspoon garam masala. Sauté for 2 minutes, or until the
vegetables are crisp-tender.
Add the scallions and sauté 1 minute longer, or until just wilted.

5. Using a fork, gently toss the celery mixture, currants, and almonds
into the quinoa. Serve at room
temperature, or cover and refrigerate until cold.

On Jul 13, 1:06*pm, Goomba > wrote:

> I came home to a spotless house and needed to cook a nice meal to get
> back in the swing of things as well as to thank my husband for holding
> the fort down so well while I was gone.



My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
spotless. I'm amazed. Was he always neat and helpful? This is more
intriguing than any meal or recipe.

Quinoa is verrrry healthy, I know. Thanks for the recipe.

Kalmia wrote:

> My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
> spotless. I'm amazed.

I don't know; if Lin were gone for that same amount of time and came home to
a spotless house, she'd suspect that I'd stayed in a hotel the whole time!

Bob

-Kalmia wrote:
> On Jul 13, 1:06 pm, Goomba > wrote:
>
>> I came home to a spotless house and needed to cook a nice meal to get
>> back in the swing of things as well as to thank my husband for holding
>> the fort down so well while I was gone.
>
>
>
> My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
> spotless. I'm amazed. Was he always neat and helpful? This is more
> intriguing than any meal or recipe.
>
> Quinoa is verrrry healthy, I know. Thanks for the recipe.

He always kept a neat, clean home even before we married. He cooks,
cleans even irons! He had to take care of military uniforms for so many
years (1969-1995, a period of many various uniforms!) so was good at it.
He can sew a patch on when necessary, and he does a lot of my uniforms too.

Do you make anything with quinoa? Got any suggested uses for it?

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Kalmia wrote:
>
>> My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
>> spotless. I'm amazed.
>
> I don't know; if Lin were gone for that same amount of time and came home to
> a spotless house, she'd suspect that I'd stayed in a hotel the whole time!
>
> Bob

Now, if we left the kids to their own devices and came home to a
spotless house...well... I'd suspect all sorts of tawdry behavior had
taken place and efforts made to cover up and hide any evidence. LOL

On Jul 13, 10:06*am, Goomba > wrote:

I've just returned from a week at the Noble Disaster Preparedness
Training Facility at Fort McClellend, Alabama and spent a week
*pigging
out* at their mess hall. Perhaps because it is so small or perhaps
all
those federal dollars but it was one of the nicest, tastiest mess
halls
I've even visited. The food was very well prepared and tasty and the
staff remarkably friendly. They offered two entrees to choose from
each
night as well as *fresh* vegetables cooked perfectly and appropriate
starches. I felt I was watching a comedy at one point when the two
guys
I was eating with one night kept raving about the vegetables like two
little old ladies. We asked the staff and they confirmed it was all
cooked from fresh raw vegetables. Then there was the dessert. Oh my..
just one cake/pie/cobbler selection each night with the standard soft
serve ice cream machine. The cakes looked like someones grandmother
had
made them, not an industrial kitchen. I think I came home with five
more pounds than I left....

--------------

Looks like you experienced a good bit of Southern cookin' and
hospitality.
Good, weren't it??? ;-)

ImStillMags wrote:

>
> Looks like you experienced a good bit of Southern cookin' and
> hospitality.
> Good, weren't it??? ;-)
>

oh hell no.. this food was *better* than that. The vegetables were
cooked but not cooked into mush as is so commonly done down south.
(You might not be aware that I *live* down south?)
This is the menu for the week that we ate. While it sounds like standard
mess hall fare... it was *much* better.

http://cdp.dhs.gov/travel/meals.html

Although it sort of saddens me to think they cook the same meals week
after week, but c'est le vie. Must get a tad boring for the staff, eh?
They certainly have it all down pat.

ImStillMags wrote:
> On Jul 13, 11:06 am, Goomba > wrote:
>
>> Do you make anything with quinoa? Got any suggested uses for it?
>
>
>
> Here's one of my favorte quinoa recipes. Especially good right now
> with fresh sweet corn.
>
> Quinoa, Corn and Cilantro
>
> 1 cup quinoa
> 2 cups water
> 1 teaspoon olive oil
> 1 bay leaf
> pinch salt
> 2 cups whole kernel corn, fresh or frozen
> 1/2 red pepper -- diced
>
> 1 cup cilantro--chopped
> 1 tablespoon lemon juice
> 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin kernels--(pepitas)
>
> 2 tablespoons olive oil
> 1 tablespoon umbioshi vinegar-- or white wine vinegar
>
> 1. Bring water and seasonings to a boil. Add quinoa and cook covered
> on low heat until water is absorbed.
> Add corn and peppers at the end of cooking time. Remove from
> heat and cover to let the corn steam.
>
> 2. Toss in cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar.
>
> To serve sprinkle pumpkin seeds on the top.
>

Last night I was thinking that cilantro would be very good in the salad
I made with the quinoa. Your recipe confirms this. I have corn on hand
to use so will need to get some more quinoa to test this out. Where do
you get your pepitas?
Thanks.

On Jul 13, 11:39*am, Goomba > wrote:
> ImStillMags wrote:
> > On Jul 13, 11:06 am, Goomba > wrote:
>
> >> Do you make anything with quinoa? Got any suggested uses for it?
>
> > Here's one of my favorte quinoa recipes. * Especially good right now
> > with fresh sweet corn.
>
> > Quinoa, Corn and Cilantro
>
> > * * * 1 * * * * *cup * * * * * * * quinoa
> > * * * 2 * * * * *cups * * * * * * water
> > * * * 1 * * * * *teaspoon * * olive oil
> > * * * 1 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * bay leaf
> > * * * * * * * * * pinch * * * * * *salt
> > * * * 2 * * * * cups * * * * * * whole kernel corn, fresh or frozen
> > * * *1/2 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *red pepper -- diced
>
> > * * * 1 * * * *cup * * * * * * * *cilantro--chopped
> > * * * 1 * * * *tablespoon * lemon juice
> > * * *1/2 * * cup * * * * * * * * roasted pumpkin kernels--(pepitas)
>
> > * * * 2 * * *tablespoons * *olive oil
> > * * * 1 * * *tablespoon * * umbioshi vinegar-- or white wine vinegar
>
> > 1. *Bring water and seasonings to a boil. *Add quinoa and cook covered
> > on low heat until water is absorbed.
> > * * *Add corn and peppers at the end of cooking time. *Remove from
> > heat and cover to let the corn steam.
>
> > 2. *Toss in cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar.
>
> > To serve sprinkle pumpkin seeds on the top.
>
> Last night I was thinking that cilantro would be very good in the salad
> I made with the quinoa. Your recipe confirms this. I have corn on hand
> to use so will need to get some more quinoa to test this out. Where do
> you get your pepitas?
> * Thanks.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You can usually find roasted pumpkin seeds in the bulk sections of
better markets or a food co-op.

On 7/13/2010 2:13 PM, Goomba wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> Kalmia wrote:
>>
>>> My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
>>> spotless. I'm amazed.
>>
>> I don't know; if Lin were gone for that same amount of time and came
>> home to a spotless house, she'd suspect that I'd stayed in a hotel the
>> whole time!
>>
>> Bob
>
> Now, if we left the kids to their own devices and came home to a
> spotless house...well... I'd suspect all sorts of tawdry behavior had
> taken place and efforts made to cover up and hide any evidence. LOL

Have you seen "Weird Science"?

ImStillMags wrote:
> On Jul 13, 11:39 am, Goomba > wrote:
>> ImStillMags wrote:
>>> On Jul 13, 11:06 am, Goomba > wrote:
>>>> Do you make anything with quinoa? Got any suggested uses for it?
>>> Here's one of my favorte quinoa recipes. Especially good right now
>>> with fresh sweet corn.
>>> Quinoa, Corn and Cilantro
>>> 1 cup quinoa
>>> 2 cups water
>>> 1 teaspoon olive oil
>>> 1 bay leaf
>>> pinch salt
>>> 2 cups whole kernel corn, fresh or frozen
>>> 1/2 red pepper -- diced
>>> 1 cup cilantro--chopped
>>> 1 tablespoon lemon juice
>>> 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin kernels--(pepitas)
>>> 2 tablespoons olive oil
>>> 1 tablespoon umbioshi vinegar-- or white wine vinegar
>>> 1. Bring water and seasonings to a boil. Add quinoa and cook covered
>>> on low heat until water is absorbed.
>>> Add corn and peppers at the end of cooking time. Remove from
>>> heat and cover to let the corn steam.
>>> 2. Toss in cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar.
>>> To serve sprinkle pumpkin seeds on the top.
>> Last night I was thinking that cilantro would be very good in the salad
>> I made with the quinoa. Your recipe confirms this. I have corn on hand
>> to use so will need to get some more quinoa to test this out. Where do
>> you get your pepitas?
>> Thanks.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> You can usually find roasted pumpkin seeds in the bulk sections of
> better markets or a food co-op.

I can get them at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Amazingly, they are
cheaper at Whole Foods. Can't recall at the moment how much I paid
though.

-Tracy
(curious about trying quinoa)

On Jul 13, 1:57*pm, Tracy > wrote:

>
> -Tracy
> (curious about trying quinoa)

Quinoa is a fabulous grain. Very high in protein and very versatile.
Here's a soup recipe that we served in the
restaurant. I adapted the recipe for home cooks and it's very easy
to make and very delicious.


2 tablespoon butter
1 stalk celery -- chopped
1 medium onion -- chopped
6 ounces mushrooms -- sliced
1 bag whole kernel corn, frozen
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables with baby lima beans
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup diced tomato -- canned with juice
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
small bunch fresh cilantro -- chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped
1 cup quinoa (rinse if it is not a pre-rinsed brand)
black pepper to taste

1. In medium pot saute onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter. Add
stock, coriander, cumin and parsley and bring to a boil.

2. Add diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables and corn. Bring back to a
boil. Add quinoa and cilantro and turn down the heat to low. Simmer
till quinoa is tender.

Check for seasonings. I like cumin and coriander so I usually add
extra, season to your own tastes.

On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:06:18 -0400, Goomba >
wrote:

>I've just returned from a week at the Noble Disaster Preparedness
>Training Facility at Fort McClellend, Alabama and spent a week *pigging
>out* at their mess hall.

Snippage

Sounds like you ate very well.

koko
--

There is no love more sincere than the love of food
George Bernard Shaw

www.kokoscornerblog.com
updated 07/12/10
Watkins natural spices
www.apinchofspices.com

koko wrote:
> On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:06:18 -0400, Goomba >
> wrote:
>
>> I've just returned from a week at the Noble Disaster Preparedness
>> Training Facility at Fort McClellend, Alabama and spent a week *pigging
>> out* at their mess hall.
>
> Snippage
>
> Sounds like you ate very well.
>
> koko

Sure beat fast food, bad restaurant food or MREs.

On Jul 13, 10:06*am, Goomba > wrote:

I made your Indian Quinoa salad recipe today. I love food from India
and I wanted to make sure the flavors were
distinctive so I changed the recipe a bit. I also added some coconut
oil to the saute and some flaked coconut and Major Grey chutney to the
finished product. I upped the amount of Garam Masala as well. I
didn't have any currents so I used raisins. Sultanas would work
really well too.

It came out really well.

Here's a pictu

http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...04648141564946

Here's the recipe as I did it.

2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
1 rounded tablespoon Garam Masala plus
1 rounded teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raisins -- or currants
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 stalks celery -- diced
1 large red bell pepper -- diced
5 scallions -- diagonally sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds -- toasted
1/2 cup coconut flakes
4 ounces Major Grey chutney

1. Toast the almonds in a large heavy skillet and set aside to
cool. Rinse the quinoa well (if it is not a pre rinsed variety).
In the same heavy skillet over mediium heat, add the quinoa and stir
constantly for up to 10 minutes till moisture is evaporated and the
quinoa is dry and golden.

2. Put 3 cups of water and one rounded tablespoon of garam masala in
a heavy saucepan and
bring to a boil. Add the toasted quinoa, return to the boil then turn
down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes till quinoa has
absorbed all the liquid.

3. Meanwhile bring about a cup of water to a boil in a small
saucepan, remove from heat and add raisins and soak till plumping.
Drain well.

4. In the same skillet you toasted the quinoa in heat the sesame and
coconut oil. Add the celery and bell pepper and the rounded
teaspoon of garam masala. Saute for 2 minutes then add the scallions
and saute for another minute. Remove from heat.

5. In a large bowl put the sauteed vegetables, raisins, coconut,
almonds and Major Grey chutney and mix well. Add the quinoa and
fold all together.

Serve warm or cold.

It's REALLY good!!

Thanks so much for the recipe idea!!!

On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:30:39 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

>On Jul 13, 10:06*am, Goomba > wrote:
>
>I made your Indian Quinoa salad recipe today. I love food from India
>and I wanted to make sure the flavors were
>distinctive so I changed the recipe a bit. I also added some coconut
>oil to the saute and some flaked coconut and Major Grey chutney to the
>finished product. I upped the amount of Garam Masala as well. I
>didn't have any currents so I used raisins. Sultanas would work
>really well too.
>
This post is classic and bore repeating.

On Jul 18, 5:30*pm, ImStillMags > wrote:
> On Jul 13, 10:06*am, Goomba > wrote:
>
> I made your Indian Quinoa salad recipe today. * I love food from India
> and I wanted to make sure the flavors were
> distinctive so I changed the recipe a bit. * I also added some coconut
> oil to the saute and some flaked coconut and Major Grey chutney to the
> finished product. *I upped the amount of Garam Masala as well. *I
> didn't have any currents so I used raisins. * *Sultanas would work
> really well too.
>
> It came out really well.
>
> Here's a pictu
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...Witch#54954046...
>
> Here's the recipe as I did it.
>
> * *2 * * *cups * quinoa
> * *3 * * *cups * water
> * *1 * * *rounded tablespoon *Garam Masala *plus
> * *1 * * *rounded teaspoon *Garam Masala
> * *1 * * *teaspoon *sea salt
> * *1 * * *cup * * raisins -- or currants
> * *1 * * *tablespoon * *toasted sesame oil
> * *1 * * *tablespoon * *coconut oil
> * *3 * * *stalks * celery -- diced
> * *1 * * *large * red bell pepper -- diced
> * *5 * * *scallions -- diagonally sliced
> * 1/2 *cup * slivered almonds -- toasted
> * 1/2 *cup * coconut flakes
> * *4 * * *ounces *Major Grey chutney
>
> 1. * Toast the almonds in a large heavy skillet and set aside to
> cool. * *Rinse the quinoa well (if it is not a pre rinsed variety).
> In the same *heavy skillet over mediium heat, add the quinoa and stir
> constantly for up to 10 minutes till moisture is evaporated and the
> quinoa *is dry and golden.
>
> 2. *Put 3 cups of water and one rounded tablespoon of garam masala in
> a heavy saucepan and
> bring to a boil. *Add the toasted quinoa, return to the boil then turn
> down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes till quinoa has
> absorbed all the liquid.
>
> 3. *Meanwhile bring about a cup of water to a boil in a small
> saucepan, remove from heat and add raisins and soak till plumping.
> Drain well.
>
> 4. *In the same skillet you toasted the quinoa in *heat the sesame and
> coconut oil. *Add the celery and bell pepper and *the *rounded
> teaspoon of garam masala. *Saute for 2 minutes then add the scallions
> and saute for another minute. * *Remove from heat.
>
> 5. *In a large bowl put the sauteed vegetables, raisins, coconut,
> almonds and Major Grey chutney and mix well. * * Add the quinoa and
> fold all together.
>
> Serve warm or cold.
>
> It's REALLY good!!
>
> Thanks so much for the recipe idea!!!


I ate this salad warm last evening. Put the leftovers in the
fridge.....btw it makes a lot.

Guess what? It might be even better cold. I'm having some with my
dinner and the flavors are even more pronounced cold. It's quite
delicious.

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:53:24 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> > Here's a pictu
> >
> > http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...Witch#54954046...

Just an FYI... you're getting to have so many pictures in that album
that you'll need to caption them so that we know what we're looking
at. The captions will even accommodate a recipe.


--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:45:35 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> On Jul 19, 7:51*pm, sf > wrote:
>
> > > >http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...Witch#54954046...
> >
> > Just an FYI... you're getting to have so many pictures in that album
> > that you'll need to caption them so that we know what we're looking
> > at. *The captions will even accommodate a recipe.
>
> -----------------
>
> thanks, I wish you could link to just one picture but I can't figure
> out how to do that....I captioned them.
>
This time, I went straight to the picture when I clicked on the link.
Maybe it's because I was already signed into Picasa. I dunno. Thanks
for the captions.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

ImStillMags wrote:
> On Jul 19, 7:51 pm, sf > wrote:
>
>>>> http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...Witch#54954046...
>> Just an FYI... you're getting to have so many pictures in that album
>> that you'll need to caption them so that we know what we're looking
>> at. The captions will even accommodate a recipe.
>
> -----------------
>
> thanks, I wish you could link to just one picture but I can't figure
> out how to do that....I captioned them.
>

I diced my peppers smaller than yours, which IMO improved the
presentation as the colors were more dispersed.
The recipe I posted was a wonderful introduction to quinoa. I've made it
twice now and it gets devoured

On Jul 20, 4:19*pm, Goomba > wrote:
> ImStillMags wrote:
> > On Jul 19, 7:51 pm, sf > wrote:
>
> >>>>http://picasaweb.google.com/Sitara80...Witch#54954046....
> >> Just an FYI... you're getting to have so many pictures in that album
> >> that you'll need to caption them so that we know what we're looking
> >> at. *The captions will even accommodate a recipe.
>
> > -----------------
>
> > thanks, I wish you could link to just one picture but I can't figure
> > out how to do that....I captioned them.
>
> I diced my peppers smaller than yours, which IMO improved the
> presentation as the colors were more dispersed.
> The recipe I posted was a wonderful introduction to quinoa. I've made it
> twice now and it gets devoured

It is good isn't it!! Thanks again.

On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:06:34 -0400, Goomba >
wrote:

>-Kalmia wrote:
>> On Jul 13, 1:06 pm, Goomba > wrote:
>>
>>> I came home to a spotless house and needed to cook a nice meal to get
>>> back in the swing of things as well as to thank my husband for holding
>>> the fort down so well while I was gone.
>>
>>
>>
>> My hat's off to you for landing a husband who kept the house neat and
>> spotless. I'm amazed. Was he always neat and helpful? This is more
>> intriguing than any meal or recipe.
>>
>> Quinoa is verrrry healthy, I know. Thanks for the recipe.

Don't think it has been mentioned, but it pays to soak Quinoa - even
if only for 15 minutes - just to help remove the saponins it contains.
Some people find it a little on the bitter side, and technically it is
toxic (but not worth worrying about).


>Do you make anything with quinoa? Got any suggested uses for it?

Makes a good substitute for rice.

On Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:17:57 +1000, Jeßus > wrote:

> Don't think it has been mentioned, but it pays to soak Quinoa - even
> if only for 15 minutes

Haven't heard that one before.

> - just to help remove the saponins it contains.

Saponin - new word. Is that the only reason to soak it?

"Saponins are natural detergents found in many plants, especially
certain desert plants".

Are you one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap?

> Some people find it a little on the bitter side, and technically it is
> toxic (but not worth worrying about).

I won't. Thanks.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.