Healthy Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon - How to make your own quinoa at home

JD

October 03, 2019

0

healthy-food, tasty-food-recipe

While in theory this “supergrain” should be appealingly nutty and crunchy, cooked quinoa often ends up a mushy mess with washed-out flavor and an underlying bitterness. For a simple quinoa pilaf with light, distinct grains and great flavor, we used less water than most quinoa recipes to avoid any mushiness. We also toasted the quinoa to develop its natural nuttiness before simmering. We flavored our pilaf with onion sautéed in fat and finished it with herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. Quinoa is also easily adapted to a variety of other flavor profiles as in the variations. We like the convenience of prewashed quinoa; rinsing removes the quinoa’s bitter protective coating (called saponin). If you buy unwashed quinoa (or if you are unsure whether it’s washed), rinse it and then spread it out over a clean dish towel to dry for 15 minutes before cooking.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups prewashed white quinoa
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1¾ cups water
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, or tarragon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Toast quinoa in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until quinoa is very fragrant and makes continuous popping sound, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to bowl.
2. Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and salt and cook until onion is softened and light golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in water and toasted quinoa, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until grains are just tender and liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork, stir in herbs and lemon juice, and serve.

Variations

Quinoa Pilaf with Goat Cheese and Chives

Substitute 4 minced garlic cloves for onion; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, before adding toasted quinoa. Use chives for chopped herbs. Sprinkle with ½ cup crumbled goat cheese before serving.

Quinoa Pilaf with Olives, Raisins, and Cilantro

Add ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon to saucepan with onion. Stir in ¼ cup golden raisins halfway through cooking quinoa. Substitute ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives and 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro for chopped fresh herbs, and 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar for lemon juice.

Quinoa Pilaf with Apricots, Aged Gouda, and Pistachios

Add ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to saucepan with onion. Stir in ½ cup coarsely chopped dried apricots before letting quinoa sit for 10 minutes in step 3. Substitute ½ cup shredded aged gouda; ½ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped coarse; and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint for herbs.

WHAT IS A PILAF?

You may associate pilaf with rice, but the pilaf method can be used to cook any grain. It is a simple but elegant approach where the grain is toasted before being simmered slowly in liquid until it’s tender and superflavorful. We use the pilaf method for many grains, including rice, bulgur, quinoa, barley, and millet, as well as pasta and couscous. It produces grains with a light, fluffy texture and an extra layer of nutty, toasted flavor that you don’t get from just boiling the grains. Many pilaf recipes also add sautéed aromatics like onion, garlic, or shallot to the grain for an extra-flavorful dish. Other ways to build complex flavor in this simple preparation include swapping in chicken broth for water and stirring in chopped fresh herbs, dried fruit, cheese, or other additions before serving, as in the variations here. Make sure you use a sturdy, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid for any pilaf recipe so the rice or grain will cook evenly and not scorch or stick to the pan.