Quinoa Salsa
Herbed Quinoa Pilaf
Red Quinoa Bars with Apricots, Golden Raisins and Figs
Crab Timbale With Avocado and Quinoa on Gazpacho
Grilled Quail on Quinoa with Sunflower Seeds
Buttermilk-Poached Pheasant Breast

Quinoa Pilaf


Quinoa - This ancient Incan grain is now available in health food
stores everywhere. But don't write it off as just for nutritionists.
Quinoa's nutty flavor makes it perfect as a steamed breakfast or side
dish. Or try it in grain-based salads like tabouli. - From Melissa
Clark

Here is a collection of recipes featuring quinoa, and a few that allow
for substitution of quinoa for other grains.

- Kate.

Quinoa Pilaf

Quinoa is a delicately flavored grain, native to South
America. It can be found in most health food stores. For even
more flavorful pilaf, use vegetable stock in place of the
water.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup hot water 1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Pour oil into a medium saucepan, and place over medium
heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; cook and stir for 10
minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Using a strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water. Drain
well. Stir into the vegetables; cook and stir for 1 minute.
Add water, bay leaf and lemon rind and juice; bring to
boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15
to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
Discard bay leaf. Stir in peas, and season to taste
with salt and pepper. Serve.




Quinoa Salsa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or broth
as much fresh cilantro as you can stand, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped or to taste
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped

Bring the broth or water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce to a
simmer; cook for 15 to 20 minutes. When the quinoa is tender, remove
from heat and drain off any excess water. Cool for a while and mix all
ingredients together. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to
allow flavors to blend.




Herbed Quinoa Pilaf

4 cups quinoa (about 18 ounces)
4 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups pine nuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil

Place quinoa in large strainer. Rinse under cold running water until
water is clear. Transfer quinoa to large saucepan; add 4 1/2 cups
water and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and
simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer quinoa to large bowl; fluff with fork. Stir in oil and lemon
juice. Cool to room temperature. Mix in pine nuts and red onion.
Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and
chill.) Mix in basil.
Market Tip: Tiny, pearly quinoa grains are immensely healthful a
they're a complete protien a and similar in size to couscous. They
have a slightly nutty flavor and a firmer texture (like pasta cooked
al dente). Quinoa is sold at natural foods stores and some
supermarkets.

Makes 12 servings.
Adapted from B. Smith




Red Quinoa Bars with Apricots, Golden Raisins and Figs

1 cup Red Quinoa, uncooked
2 cup Water
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp. Cloves, ground
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 cup Golden Raisins
1/2 cup Dried Apricots, chopped
1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Black Mission Figs, chopped
1/2 lb. Unsalted Butter or Margarine, melted
1/2 cup Orange Juice
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 ea. Eggs, lightly beaten

Cook Red Quinoa according to package directions, then set aside and
cool. (Quinoa is usually cooked, like white rice, in a 1:2 ratio of
quinoa to water.)
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
Add quinoa, butter, orange juice, vanilla and eggs - mix well.
Transfer to a buttered and floured baking pan.
Bake at 350A (in a preheated oven) for 45 minutes or until a fork or
toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the pan.
Cool bars before cutting.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.




Crab Timbale With Avocado and Quinoa on Gazpacho

Crab layer
1-1/2 ounces lump crabmeat
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of fresh-ground salt and pepper ($0.02)
Avocado layer
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon red onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Pinch of fresh-ground salt and pepper
Quinoa layer
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon minced cucumber
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil ($0.06)

Remove possible shells in the lump crabmeat by spreading the crab onto
a cookie sheet and baking in a 350 degree oven for 1 minute. (The tiny
shell pieces turn bright white and become easily visible.) Combine in
a bowl the crabmeat, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Reserve
crab mixture in the refrigerator.
Next, combine the following ingredients to create a layer of the
timbale: avocado, jalapeno, red onion, olive oil, lime juice, salt and
pepper. Reserve the mixture in the refrigerator.
Cook the quinoa in a pot of salted boiling water according to package
instructions. (Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wah, is a healthful grain used
in South American cuisine. Tiny and bead shaped, the ivory-colored
quinoa cooks very similar to rice and expands to four times its
original volume. Quinoa can be found in health-food stores and some
supermarkets.)
Strain the quinoa and allow it to cool before adding the remaining
olive oil, lemon juice and cucumber.
Mold the reserved mixtures in a small timbale, making layers starting
with the crab mixture, then the avocado, and finally the quinoa. (A
timbale is a small mold that is generally high-sided and tapered at
the bottom, usually used to serve au-jus when ordering a prime rib.)
Keep the finished timbale in the cooler until ready to serve.





Gazpacho

2 ripe tomatoes
1/4 red onion
1/4 fennel bulb
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 peeled cucumber
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Roughly chop all ingredients and mix thoroughly with salt. Puree the
ingredients in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning with more sea
salt or fresh ground pepper.
Presentation: Ladle a small amount of gazpacho onto a cold salad
plate. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil onto the gazpacho,
and keep cold until serving. Unmold the timbale onto the gazpacho and
top with a green garnish.




Grilled Quail on Quinoa with Sunflower Seeds

Boning quail is just like boning chicken but on a smaller scale. You
may also ask your butcher to bone it for you. Jacques Pepin grills the
small birds and serves them with quinoa which is a grain that dates
back to the Incas.
Yield: 4 Servings

Quail
1 medium size shallots, peeled
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon nuoc nam- this can be purchased at Asian markets
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 small jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon water
4 boneless quail

Quinoa
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, hulled
2 tablespoons dried currants
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups chicken stock a see link
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 degreed F.
Place the shallots, garlic, nuoc nam, sugar, jalapeno, and water in
a small mini-chop, and process until liquefied. Place the quail in a
flat dish and pour the marinade over the quail, turning until they are
coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
At cooking time, place the quail on a very hot grill and cook 2
1/2-3 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a dish and keep warm in a 180 degree F. oven until
serving time a up to 45 minutes.
Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot sauté the onion and seeds for 2
minutes.
Add the currents and quinoa and mix well. Stir in the stock, salt,
and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and boil gently
for about 18 minutes, until fluffy and tender.
Arrange the quinoa in the center of four plates and place a quail
on top. Pour any juices that have accumulated in the dish over the
quail.




Buttermilk-Poached Pheasant Breast

Serves 4
SQUASH
1 blue Hubbard squash, halved and seeds removed
2 tablespoons butter
1?2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
11?2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
SPICED PEPITAS
3?4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1?4 teaspoon chili powder
1?4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
11?2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
CHICKEN
2 Chicken breasts, skin removed
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsely
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
QUINOA
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1?4 cup minced shallot
2 cups cooked quinoa
1?4 cup chopped dried sweet cherries
1?2 cup spiced pepitas (above)
1 cup cooked squash wedges (above)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
VEGETABLES
8 baby carrots, peeled
8 Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half
1 small white turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch bite size pieces
A1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 sprig sage
1 bay leaf
GARNISH
4 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil

To prepare the squash: Cut the squash into 1-inch wedges. Place in a
large saute 1/2 pan with the butter and cook over medium heat for 10
minutes. Add the chili powder and thyme and continue to cook until the
squash is caramelized and tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of
the squash wedges and reheat before serving if necessary. Puree 1/2e the
remaining squash in a blender with the water until smooth, then pass
through a fine-mesh sieve. Warm the squash puree 1/2 in a small saucepan
and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the pepitas: Preheat the oven to 400. Line a sheet pan
with parchment paper. Combine the pepitas, chili powder, paprika,
sugar, and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Spread
out on the parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes, or until
toasted.
To prepare the chicken: Place the pheasant, garlic, bay leaf, thyme,
and buttermilk in a vacuum-sealable bag (or in a zip lock freezer
bag). Seal the bag according to manufacture's instructions, but try to
remove any excess air before sealing. Place the bag in a pot of cold
water set over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer and maintain the
water temperature at 160 degrees and cook for 30 minutes or until
done. You can check for doneness by gently pinching the chicken while
it's inside the bag, it should feel tender. Remove the bag from the
pan and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 1?3-inch-thick
slices. Gently toss the slices with the olive oil and chopped parsley,
and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the quinoa: Place the olive oil, ginger, and shallots in a
saute 1/2 pan and cook over medium heat until the shallots are
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa, cherries, pepitas, and 1
cup of the reserved squash wedges.
Once combined, add the chives, pumpkin seed oil, and balsamic vinegar;
season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the vegetables: Place the carrots, Brussels sprouts,
turnips, cumin, olive oil, vinegar, and sage in a vacuum-sealable bag
(or in a zip lock freezer bag). Seal the bag according to
manufacture's instructions. Place the bag in a pot of cold water set
over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer and maintain the water
temperature at 160 degrees. Simmer until the vegetables are tender
(about 45 minutes). Cut open the bag and discard the bay leaf and sage
and season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper.
ASSEMBLY
Place a 5-inch ring mold in the center of each plate; fill 1?2 inch
high with the quinoa mixture and pack down firmly. Remove the ring
mold and arrange 4 or 5 slices of the chicken atop the quinoa mixture.
Spoon the squash puree 1/2e around the quinoa and place 5 or 6 of the
reserved squash wedges around the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining
pepitas around the plate and drizzle the pumpkin seed oil around the
squash puree.
Serve the carrots, Brussels sprouts, and turnips along side
the quinoa.


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