Quinoa Salad with Fruit and Herbs

This salad was just going to be this salad made with quinoa instead of couscous, because quinoa was what I had in the cupboard. I was going to take a photo, and put it on Facebook and Twitter and call it a day. I started glancing around the kitchen and the garden, however, and decided that a fresh pineapple needed to be included, as well as some pineapple sage. The result was a different enough salad to warrant the writing of another recipe.

The dressing for this salad is virtually identical to the original, but since I was going to include the fresh pineapple, I added a couple pinches of ground ginger to the mix. It really goes well with the fruit as well as with the lime, cumin, coriander, and mint. The proportions of herbs and fruit are also similar in this recipe, although I left out the chickpeas from the original. Quinoa is a complete protein, so I felt like the salad was nutritionally significant without them. If you want to make a more substantial meal out of this salad, you certainly could stir in some chickpeas or some black beans.

I love the way this salad turned out! The bright flavors of the fruits and herbs really set the tone, while the slightly nutty flavor of the quinoa could stay in the background, but still compliment the whole salad. I loved the mint with the fruit, quinoa, and dressing, but I have to admit to being of two minds about the pineapple sage. It has a bit of a fuzzy mouthfeel, and its flavor is rather bitter with just a bit of the fruity-floral tone I was hoping for. It was good enough, but I don’t think it’s worth seeking out for this salad if you don’t have ready access to it. I included it in the recipe below, but as “optional”.

 

Other herbs would be great here, too, I’m sure, and a salad like this would be a good place to experiment with them if you like to grow them. You also could swap in different fruits depending on what you can get or what you like. This particular combination was delightful, gently sweet, well-complimented by the earthy cumin and coriander, and enhanced by the bright flavors of the fresh herbs. A really fun way to eat well this summer!

Quinoa Salad with Nectarines, Pineapple, and Mint

Don’t worry about getting your hands on pineapple sage for this recipe. The mint is great, however, and worth putting in.

Swap another liquid sweetener for the honey to make this salad vegan.

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa

1 cup finely chopped nectarine

1 cup finely chopped pineapple

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint

Up to ¼ cup finely chopped pineapple sage, optional

Finely grated zest of 1 lime

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander seed

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, nectarine, pineapple, onion, mint, pineapple sage if using, and lime zest. Gently toss together to combine.

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk together until very well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture and gently toss together to coat.

Makes 2-3 main-dish servings or about 6 side-dish servings. Refrigerate leftovers.

Other recipes like this one: Brown Rice Salad with Walnuts, Pears, and Blue Cheese; Couscous Salad with Nectarines and Chickpeas; Farro and Apple Salad with Craisins

One year ago: Asparagus Flatbread with Aged Gouda and Hazelnuts

Spring Vegetable Risotto

At least one more run with asparagus, please. It’s been such a good year for it that I’m wondering if the asparagus spears are in cahoots with the rhubarb in its plans for world domination. The important part is that I can still get asparagus in the local farmer’s market, so I can try out my dreamy idea of a Spring Vegetable Risotto.

I don’t make risotto very often, although I feel like I’m getting more proficient at the process of making it. It really doesn’t need a precise recipe if you like to be more free-wheeling in the kitchen. You just need enough broth to make your rice as tender and creamy as you like it, and an appropriate proportion of mix-ins and flavorings.

I started to get more comfortable with making risotto when I made the switch from cooking it in a deep saucepan to cooking it in a skillet. I feel like the risotto cooks more evenly, and, well, I can see it all better when its spread out in a large skillet in front of me. It also seems to cook faster this way, but I can’t say I’ve ever done a minute to minute comparison between saucepan risotto and skillet risotto.

In this version I featured blanched asparagus and peas, along with some finely chopped arugula. My home-grown arugula is at the end of it’s good run in the pot on my back patio, and is getting rather bitter, but I found it a good compliment to the sweet peas and asparagus. I flavored everything with fresh thyme, garlic, shallots, parmesan cheese, and a light, homemade vegetable broth.

It probably goes without saying that you can customize the flavors and seasonings in this recipe, using other seasonal vegetables as they become available, perhaps some blanched sugar snap peas, for example, or lots of flavorful herbs. You can also customize the texture. If you like that little almost crunchy bite of starch in the middle of Arborio rice, you can stop cooking at that point. If you like your rice softer, like I do, you can continue to add broth and keep going. If you would like it to be extra creamy, you can add extra liquid at the very end and don’t let it all get absorbed. Or, you could add extra butter or cream, or more cheese.

I gwrote down exactly how I made this particular seasonal version of risotto, so I give you a recipe rather than guidelines below. I loved the way it turned out, with the mild, creamy rice working as a good base for bright and fresh spring vegetables (although I did use frozen peas), and a soft, slightly creamy texture. The parmesan cheese is wonderful here, as is the bit of fresh thyme, and an occasional peppery bite from the arugula.

Yes, risotto takes a little time to make, but you don’t really have to attend it as meticulously as legend has it. I usually can at least put together a salad between frequent stirrings. And it seems that “frequent” is indeed the operative word when it comes to risotto stirring. It should also be the operative word with regard to making risotto, too!

Spring Vegetable Risotto

I used a homemade vegetable broth, but you could use a store-bought one that you like or chicken broth, which will add a significant chicken flavor. I prefer to use a light-colored broth for appearance, but flavor is, of course, most important.

5 cups vegetable broth

1 cup finely sliced asparagus

½ cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 medium-size clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste

1 cup risotto rice (I used Arborio)

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup finely chopped arugula

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the vegetable broth to a full boil. Add the asparagus and peas. Cook until the asparagus is tender but not mushy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the asparagus and peas and set aside. Keep the broth hot, but not boiling.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until it is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.

3. Add the ½ teaspoon salt, rice, and thyme. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

4. Add about ½ cup hot broth. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid. Continue to add the broth ½ cup at a time and stirring the rice until the liquid is absorbed until the rice is tender, but not yet mushy. You may not need all of the broth to cook the rice. The whole process will take 20-30 minutes.

5. Stir in the cooked asparagus and peas and the arugula. Stir in the parmesan and butter. Taste the risotto for seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Makes 2 large main-dish servings or 4-5 side-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Asparagus and Peas,  Baked Pasta with Cheese and Spring Vegetables, Quinoa and Spinach Casserole,

Rhubarb Clafouti

If you are the proud owner of a rhubarb plant or two, you may have noticed that rhubarb is conspiring to take over the world. My plants are thick and lively, and each is sprouting several huge flower stalks that look like something from an alien or prehistoric landscape. (Or are those super-sensitive communication antennae being used to coordinate the rhubarb revolution?)

I have many favorite rhubarb recipes, but in the spring and early summer, I’m looking for new ways to feature it. Yesterday, I decided to revisit a recipe that I have been shamefully neglecting since posting it: clafouti. I figured the rhubarb could be a good substitute for the cherries in the traditional recipe, and I could make some tweeks to accommodate its unique characteristics.

If you are not familiar with clafouti (you might also see “clafoutis”), it is a custard-like dessert with some added flour that gives it a bit of cake-like backbone. It should be somewhat dense for a custard, but not rubbery or gluey, not quite getting to the heavier texture of a dumpling. It’s somewhat sweet, but the custard itself has a relatively mild flavor so as not to overshadow the fruit that it holds together. Cherry is a common fruit in clafouti, but pears, apples or prunes can be featured as well. I’ve even made a savory version with cherry tomatoes.

The properties of rhubarb I thought I would need to compensate for in my most recent clafouti are its extreme sourness and its excessive moisture. I adjusted for the tart taste by simply adding more sugar, and I put in some extra flour in hopes of counteracting the extra water I thought would be coming with the rhubarb.

The results were delicious! There was plenty of the tart flavor of the rhubarb all through each bite, but it was tamed by just enough sugar. The custard base was denser due to the extra flour, but it was still very tender and melt-in-your mouth smooth without being weepy or watery. The clafouti puffed up dramatically when baking, rising about an inch and a half above the edge of my pie plate. It stood tall, however, holding itself up rather than slumping or spilling over.

 

There’s a splash of brandy in this recipe, too, and while I can’t say I could taste it specifically, it adds a little something to the custard. I’ve also been playing around with Toasted Sugar, as made famous by Stella Parks. (You can find the method to make your own here at Serious Eats). I made up a whole batch and have been including it in most of my baking. I used it in my Rhubarb Clafouti, which added some subtle caramelly undertones, but you can make a good dessert with regular granulated sugar as well.

 

Personally, I welcome our new rhubarb overlords, since I’ve been a big fan of theirs most of my life. Just don’t tell them I know the invasion is in progress. I’m not quite ready to give up my desserts.

Rhubarb Clafouti

Based on a recipe in The Joy of Cooking

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 tablespoon brandy

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup al-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

¾ pound chopped rhubarb

Powdered sugar or whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9 or 10-inch deep dish pie plate or a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside

2. Whisk the eggs together in a medium-size bowl. Gradually whisk in the sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is very smooth and has slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

3. Whisk in the milk, brandy, and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in the flour, making sure no large lumps form. Whisk together until smooth.

4. Arrange the rhubarb in the bottom of the prepared pie plate or pan. Pour the egg mixture over the rhubarb.

5. Carefully transfer to the oven. If you use a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, it will be very full. Put the plate on a baking pan in the oven to avoid spilling over, if desired.

6. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F. Bake an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer liquid. The clafouti will puff considerably when baking, but will collapse at least slightly as it cools. Cool 5-10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes about 8 servings. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated.

Other recipes like this one: Cherry Clafouti, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Rhubarb Custard Bars, Savory Cherry Tomato Clafouti

One year ago: Orange and White Chocolate Cookies