Ok, let me clarify that statement:
It's not that Turkish food is a real adventure--for some people it is, maybe, but I grew up with it somewhat. However grains and pulses other than rice [or pasta, actually--other than manti--Turks tend to fail miserably with pasta] are featured prominently in the cuisine. This is a serious difference between the Turkish and the American diet. Sure, we've heard of lentils, but that doesn't mean we eat them and we sure as heck aren't inundated by foods that contain them.
In my opinion, Turks have a leg up on us.
This may sound strange, but I was actually lucky to have limited cabinet space in my Ankara kitchen because it forced me to devise a new method for storing dried goods like rices, grains, and pulses. After much thinking, and many empty water bottles, I developed a storage system on my counter. The great thing about this was that I constantly saw what I had--I didn't forget the bulgur in the back of the cabinet--and it got me to experiment with lots of grains and pulses in a way I'd never done before.
Now that I'm back and can't have a countertop system, I already find myself forgetting things in the back of the cabinet. It's not as bad as before, but it does happen. However, my experience in Turkey has served to bring all sorts of new ingredients and ideas to the forefront of my mind and added significant diversity to my world of food.
So, when I think about dinner now I try and actively think about my dry goods cabinet. I have great large bags of green and red lentils, yellow split peas and chickpeas, semolina and bulgur--all bought at the Indian grocer for cheap!cheap!cheap! I've got quinoa and a few shapes of pasta, as well as couscous. A few basic rices are also on the shelves, but I find now that I consume rice at a much slower pace than before. I love rice, but it gets boring!
All in all, I have a great array of ingredients. Using them I've added such dimension and variety to my cooking, as well as added significant vegetarian sources of protein and nutrients to my diet.
One thing I've started considering lately is how to use new grains in recipes traditionally made with a certain type. I don't mean going off the deep-end and going crazy to create something that doesn't even resemble the original dish. I know a lot of people who do that and it's just not for me--if I want to create something new and original, I'll do that. When I'm trying to slightly reinvent a dish I always try to keep the essence of the original.
A recent successful attempt at this is the subject of this post.
Today's Menu:
Roasted Mushroom Quniotto
Basic Salad
This menu came about for three reasons:
1. I didn't have any arborio/risotto/short-grain rice
2. I didn't actually want rice but I did want risotto
3. I wanted a vegetarian meal that provided some protein
I made this dish a few weeks ago for dinner. I had been feeling like a lot of my recent meals were a bit heavy, so I really wanted to cool it and return to vegetarian food for a little while. I knew I would be eating some hefty meals in New Mexico as well, so I thought it would be good to have a break before going.
I had considered risotto for a while, but the idea just wasn't sending me. I really really really didn't want rice. Plus, I didn't have any of the right kind of rice sitting around the house, which meant a trip to the grocery store.
I kept thinking but everything I came up with was an unpleasing idea. Time was running out, so I returned to the risotto idea. What could I do to make it better? How could I make it a good healthy meal? Could I use a different grain? But what would mush-up like rice while retaining some character?
I mentally roved through my cabinets and wasn't getting anywhere. Then, suddenly, it came to me--that little box of quinoa tucked away in the back corner...qunioa! perfect!
Not only is quinoa protein rich, but it mushes when slow cooked with liquid. It holds a bit more texture and rigidity than risotto rice, but in a good way.
It's a neat little thing, quinoa. Not technically a grain, quinoa is actually related to leafy vegetables like amaranth and Swiss chard. The leaves of the plant are eaten, but what most of us know as quinoa is actually the seeds of the plant.
If you look at a quinoa grain, it looks to me like the cross-section of one of those roly-poly pill bugs, all wrapped up snug and tight. As it cooks, the germ begins to separate from the seed making the finished product look like a little curly-cue with a clear center and an opaque outer rim. It doesn't get to be as soft as rice, but it retains a desirable slightly chewy texture.
Quinoa has a distinct earthy, nutty flavor and I wanted to accentuate this feature. So, I tried to think of what I could add to the dish that would compliment the flavors and textures of quinoa. Eventually, I came upon the idea of mushrooms--with their dirty, woody flavor they would make a nice addition. Roasting the mushrooms for a short time would also bring out their juices and create a complimentary chewy texture.
Other than that, I didn't add much. I used a flavorful vegetable broth and some fresh herbs from my windowsill, but I really wanted the interplay of flavor and texture between quinoa and mushroom to be the highlight. Paired with a light salad--parfait!
And it was. Absolutely delicious. Totally nutritious. Satisfying. A new favorite use for quinoa and a new dish in the no-fail rotation. Great for veggies and vegans. This one's a winner.
In fact, maybe I'll make it for dinner tonight...just thinking about how good it was starts me a-cravin'!
Roasted Mushroom Quinotto
for roasted mushrooms:
1/2 lb button or crimini mushrooms
olive oil
salt
pepper
for quinotto:
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
1 cup quinoa, rinsed until water runs clear
4 c vegetable or chicken broth
water (if needed)
roasted mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme
olive oil
salt
pepper
directions:
1. roast the mushrooms
a. preheat oven to 375F
b. toss whole mushrooms with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.
c. put mushrooms stem-side-up on a baking dish lined with foil. place in oven and roast until tender but not wrinkly.
d. remove from oven and let cool before slicing
2. make the quinotto
a. pour broth into a saucepan and heat over a medium flame.
b. heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. add onion and cook until translucent.
c. add quinoa and cook another 30 seconds.
d. reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 c of the warm broth. cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed.
e. add 1/4 c more of the broth and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. repeat the process until all the broth has been used up.
f. taste the quinoa--if it is still too hard, continue the process with more broth or water until it has become quite soft and becomes somewhat mushy. it will retain a chewier texture than rice.
g. add sliced mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. cook until mushrooms are warm.
Basic Salad
[note: this is my go-to salad. it's a flexible recipe that mostly depends on what i have in the fridge and what I feel like having in terms of cheese, nuts, and dried fruit]
romaine lettuce, coarsely ripped
tomato, coarsely chopped
bell pepper, coarsely chopped
cucumber, coarsely chopped
celery, coarsely chopped
scallion, coarsely chopped
carrot, coarsely grated
mushroom, coarsely chopped
feta cheese, cubed
walnuts, coarsely chopped
dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
directions:
1. put the vegetables, cheese, nuts, and dried fruit in a large bowl.
2. drizzle olive oil and vinegar over top and toss to coat. add more oil and vinegar to taste.
say yes to quinotto!
Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment