Quinoa: The Sacred Food

What is quiona you ask? Umm, the greatest food ever! Quinoa looks like a grain but comes from a plant that is closely related to spinach. The Incas referred to it as "the sacred food". It is also has very high protein content and a balanced set of amino acids which makes it a complete protein source, this is not that common among plants.  Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest... I could go on and on about the wonders and history of quinoa, but if you want to know more the Internet has a plethora of information you can read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

So how do you cook it? Pretty much the same way your would cook cous cous or rice.
2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, cover and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. It will have a slightly nutty taste and bit of a crunch too it.
You can serve it hot or cold and season it however you like.  Here is something I did with it recently. Follow the jump for my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad recipe.

Deviled Eggs

I had 6 eggs I needed to use. The "sell by" date passed already, so I decided it was time to start fresh and use up what I had.  I could make a big batch of scrambled eggs, or a 6 egg omelet, but it is really, really, really hot outside these days and the idea of something chilled sounded really appealing. Answer: Deviled Eggs. This was actually my first attempt ever at making deviled eggs. Not too hard really, but requires patience.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Stone Ground Corn Meal

I mentioned in a previous post that I am exploring alternative side dishes to go with my proteins. We used to stick to some kind of potato dish, but I am trying to change it up. On one of the recent episodes of Top Chef All-Stars, one of the "cheftestants" prepared creamy polenta as a side to go with his dish. Polenta is very similar to a staple Southern food, grits. The difference is that it is made with yellow corn meal instead of white. I've had a hankering to try and make it ever since. I decided to try it  as a side to go with my grilled shrimp and scallops. I've made grits plenty of times, but I decided to stick closely to the recipe I found at  Epicurious.com. I added a clove of smashed garlic to the chicken broth while bringing it to a boil, because, let's face it, everything is better with a little garlic. I didn't use quick cook polenta, and I don't think that it took anymore time than it does to make quick cook grits. Once the consistency was thick, I turned off the heat and added the butter, cream and parmesan (in that order), plus some pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Parmesan is already pretty salty so add salt cautiously. It was really simple to make and, in my humble opinion, just might be better than grits. I am inclined to think no one does grits better than Southerners, but I think the Italians might have us beat on this one. To see what it looks like cooked take a look at my Lemon Garlic Grilled Shrimp post.

Israeli Couscous

I am trying to get more creative with side dishes and expand beyond pasta and rice. I tried whole wheat Israeli couscous the other day and was very happy with the results. How is Israeli couscous different from regular couscous, you ask? It is pearl shaped and larger than regular couscous (or Moroccan).
See What is Israeli couscous? for more info. I made an Israeli couscous salad. It came out pretty good and was fairly easy to make.

Portobello Fries

I first made these with a friend a few months ago when we wanted alternative to potatoes to go with burgers. She found the recipe from a Publix Simple Apron Meal. Since then, I've made them numerous times. They are a delicious substitute for starchy potato fries. These are great if you are trying to go low carb (or lower carb in my case, I will never live a life with out carbs). Not to mention, they are baked. Not fried :)

Ingredients:
2-4 Portobello Mushroom Caps
1 cup egg substitute (a.k.a. Egg Beaters)
1/4cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt & Pepper