Quinoa, or "Keen-Wah" if you want to be specific

So I know I know I have promised I am posting on how to make quinoa. Now I will tell you it is pronounced "Keen-wah" or "qin-wah" but sometimes mispronunciations of words drive people nuts. I am usually not one of those people and there is a woman in my office who is one of those people, so I purposely do it to drive her nuts. I know it could be considered childish but until you have dealt with her yourself (which will make you go nuts), any little victory is nice especially to keep you sanity.

So back to quinoa. So what is the deal with this quinoa stuff? Well quinoa was domesticated about 3,000 years ago for human consumption. It was used first by the Inca's. It comes from a plant where the pods that stem are edible. But why all of the sudden in this health craze day of age are they are full of essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Why am I getting into it, well I wanted something that was a healthy rice supplement since Wee Baby is on his/her way. Not saying rice is bad, but I wanted to introduce more calcium and iron in my diet.

Quinoa is a lot like rice in it's preparation even though it can remind you a little of couscous in it's shape/texture. My hidden little trick to give it a little bit more flavor, prepare it in broth. I don't care what kind, I usually use what ever to compliment the protein I am using. Now here is a very easy recipe, one of my own pot recipes. Just because it has a weird name and is uber healthy, don't be afraid. Just become one with the quinoa.

So let's start with my version of Stir-fry Quinoa

First I cut up some cooked rib meat Hubby had made the other night and let it sautee a little in the pot with a little bit of olive oil. This would be good with any kind pork, beef, or chicken product.

Then I added all my lovely veggies (with me it was tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach.)Let those saute some until the veggies get soft.

 Next you need to add your broth/water and quinoa. Since I let the meat and veggies meld together I just added water. The quinoa cooks just like rice, so I knew those veggies and meat were going to become a broth of it's own since they will cook in the water for about 15 minutes. So add quinoa and then double the amount of water. For us, I used 1 cup of quinoa and three cups of water. Again treat it just like it's rice.

With quinoa you should stir a few times in the cooking process so nothing gets scorched. The top picture is about five to eight minutes in, the bottom is how it looks when you get close to done. You want most of the water to be gone.

What quinoa looks like up close when cooked. Yummy little balls of deliciousness.

And then once done, you serve! Enjoy a delicious and healthy bowl full or if you are like me then a bowl and a half, but I have a wee little baby inside.

Ollie loves quinoa and was sad he didn't get a bowl

So as always live, laugh, love! I will post pics soon of our growing little baby bump. Only three more weeks and I get to find out if it's a little girl or boy! What do you think it's going to be? Commence bets I mean comments below.

Risotto, an easier side dish than you think

Have you ever watched Hell's Kitchen? The one with Gordon Ramsay looking for a new head chef for one of his bazillion restaurants and he pretty much yells at you and throws things at the chefs. That one, it comes on Fox, but man don't I love it. My mom thinks I am weird for loving a show where the main person is yelling and screaming at the cooks and in her words "degrading", but my Dad and I LOVE IT and think it's so funny. I also mainly love it for the cooking and the challenges. (Master Chef is also a great show to!!) On a side note, if you have never worked in a restaurant you have no idea how tense it can get in the kitchen, yelling happens. Hence why you grow tough skin when you get burned, to protect you from all the yelling.

One of my Favorite shows.

 Well the reason why I bring up Hell's Kitchen is one of the sides I see the chef's make 95% of the time and seem to screw it up 93.4567% of the time (just trust my math, he-he) is Risotto. It is a very simple dish to make, hence why I couldn't comprehend why these guys can mess it up so much. Before we go into the nitty gritty let me give you a very brief history of Risotto. Risotto is a short grain rice that was introduced to Spain and Italy by the Arabs during the Middle Ages. Italy was most ideal to grow this rice because of the humidity and flat land and quickly became an Italian staple. Believe it or not, Italians also love to take their time with their food to make sure that the flavors are absorbed and cherished (hence why an Italian dinner party can last for hours, trust me I know from first hand experience).

Now let's get started on this lovely dish. This is another dish that you can make your own, add or subtract veggies or change the flavors. Play with it, add saffron or fresh basil. It's truly hard to screw up Risotto. It just takes a little longer than normal rice and some additional stirring, but by the end, you can impress your friends and they will believe you are a gourmet chef!

Here are the things you are going to need:

1. 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Aborio (risotto) rice. This will make a lot, it's just like rice, it will double or triple in size.
2. 1 quart of broth, Chicken, vegetable or beef. I usually use what is going to complement my main dish.
3. Optional: vegetables to saute, such as mushrooms, peas, or spinach. 
4. A little olive oil
5. Optional: wine

Yup that's it, really four items. Ok let's get started. Get a medium saute pan. With a little olive oil saute your veggies. I picked mushrooms. After they have been sauteed to satisfaction, add the Aborio. Yes dry, trust me. Let the Aborio saute a little until you can smell an almond or nutty scent.

Saute it dry first

While the mushrooms are sauteing, start on your broth. I usually recommend that it is warmed up. I used the powdered broth or the stuff from the carton. Heat up about a quart of broth.

 

Now that your broth is ready, pour a little into your risotto pan, about a quarter of the liquid. With a spoon stir the risotto and mix it all in together. You don't have to stir the risotto all the time but  keep an eye on it because you do not want it to stick. You want the risotto to absorb the flavors.

When you first add

When you mix it all together

Then when the liquid is fully absorbed and there is no liquid in the pan, add more and repeat. You are going to do this till you are out of broth (3-4 times) and till the risotto is nice a creamy. If you stir often enough and use enough liquid, you should be able to avoid lumps. When you get lumps Gorden Ramsay comes to your house and throws the pan against something a disgrace. And you don't want to be a disgrace by Gordon Ramsay.

Last set of sauce

End product

If you are not a creamy stage and you need just that extra ounce of liquid, this is where vino comes in. Not sure what wine to use, chicken broth and veggie = white (chardonnay goes well) and beef =red. Stir it in and Viola, Bam,  or Poof the Magical Dragon if you prefer, your Risotto is done. It goes great as a side or as a main dish. I grate a little fresh Romano or Parm over it, that is some excellent cooking there.

So now get your application for Master Chef (Gordon is nicer there) or the Hell's Kitchen because you know how to cook Risotto. Now go home, sit down with a glass of wine and pat your self on the back because you made it better than the others show screw up 93.4567% of the time. Live, Laugh, and Love!!!