Quinoa and Winter Vegetable Soup

For an upcoming class on grains, I decided I wanted to teach a quinoa soup.  I tend to use quinoa only in salads and pilafs, but soup is a very traditional use of quinoa in its native Peru...and it is becoming more common here in the states if its presence in the blogosphere is any indication.  I thought it was time that I expanded my quinoa horizons a bit.

As I looked around at the kinds of soup people were making with quinoa, I found it varied from those that contained little more than quinoa (cooked in a simple broth) to soups with loads of vegetables, beans and greens in addition to the quinoa.  Inspired by one of these latter soups and a quinoa "chili" I found, I eventually decided to make a soup with a spiced tomato-y base, black beans and a short list of winter-y vegetables.   The balance of flavors in this soup is remarkable.  Tangy tomato, sweet spices (coriander and paprika) and vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes and squash are all quite sweet), and slightly bitter and earthy cumin and quinoa all make for a soup of astonishing complexity and depth.  I couldn't get over how much I liked it. 

 
I was also surprised by my reaction to the way the quinoa tends to swell even more as it continues to absorb broth during storage.  Many grains and starches tend to do this as they sit in a liquid.  Sometimes this results in unpleasantness (think about bloated pasta in minestrone)...and other times in an even better product (as in beans...which become plumper and creamier as they sit).  When I looked at my leftovers the day after I first prepared the soup, I was dismayed to see how swollen the quinoa had become.  I expected the soup to be gloppy and texture-less...and I anticipated that I would have to alter my recipe so that the quinoa was cooked separately and then added in fresh to each portion of reheated soup (which would have been a shame since cooking the quinoa in the soup adds wonderful flavor to the broth).   But I was wrong.  The soup was not at all gloppy. It still had a delightfully broth-y texture (after adding a bit of water upon reheat)...and of course, as with most soups, the flavor was even better after sitting over night.

When I first made this soup, I don't think my plan was for a soup that was almost entirely a study in oranges and reds, but that's what I ended up with.  And as I sat down to dinner on that first night...and then lunches over the next few days...I have to say that the colors made for meals that were a bright and happy spot in the midst of a spate of cold and gray winter days. 

a warm bowl of leftovers for lunch...

Quinoa & Winter Vegetable Soup

1/4 c. olive oil
1 medium onion (about 7 oz.), cut in 1/3-inch dice (to make about 1 1/3 cups)
2 to 3 carrots (about 1/2 lb.), trimmed and peeled and cut in a 1/3-inch dice (to make about 1 1/3  cups)
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut in 1/3-inch dice (about 1/2 to 2/3 c.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. coriander
1 medium (about 8 oz.) sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1/3-inch dice (to make 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cup)
1 8 oz. chunk of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in 1/3-inch dice (to make 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cup)
1 14 oz. can (or half a 28-oz. can) peeled plum tomatoes, pulsed in the food processor to yield rough chop
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup white quinoa, well rinsed and drained
Boiling water (or more hot stock), as necessary to achieve desired consistency

Warm the olive oil in a soup pot set over moderate heat.  Add the onion, carrot and celery along with a good pinch of salt.  Sweat until the onion is translucent and tender and the carrot and celery are just tender....about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic and spices and continue to cook until fragrant and sizzling.  Add the squash and sweet potato, along with a good pinch of salt.  Continue to cook for about five minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the vegetables are well coated with the seasonings and are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

Add the tomatoes, stock, beans and quinoa.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Check the seasoning again (adding salt as necessary). Cover the pot with a lid that is slightly ajar and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook until the vegetables are tender and the quinoa has unfurled its germ...about 15 to 20 minutes.  Correct the consistency with boiling water...or more hot stock...if the soup is too thick.  Let the soup stand for 5 minutes off the heat.  Check the consistency and seasoning again and serve.

Makes 2 to 2 1/2 quarts soup (or about 6 servings)

Notes:

• The goal with the sweet potatoes and squash is to obtain 3 to 3 1/2 cups diced vegetables...if your sweet potato is small, use more squash...if it is large, use less squash. You could use all one or the other too...I just like the idea of the slight variation in color, texture and flavor.
• If you prefer, you may use chickpeas instead of black beans.
• The spices were measured with a slightly rounded spoon, rather than a level spoon.
• The soup is delicious after the first day...but the quinoa will have absorbed more liquid. Be prepared to add a bit more water to the soup as it is reheating in order to obtain the consistency you prefer.

Printable Version

Simple Carrot & Apple Spice Muffins

I have always loved the idea of the famous "Morning Glory" muffins. Who wouldn't like the idea of a cinnamon scented muffin...loaded with carrots, apples and pineapple...as well as coconut, nuts and dried fruit?  Unfortunately, my love of the idea has never translated into making them. 

Part of the beauty of muffins is that they are quick to make.  If indeed they are made using the "muffin" method, they are among the quickest to make of all the quick breads.  If you have to run out and get special ingredients...they sort of cease to be quick.  And therein, for me, lies the problem.  I just don't keep some of these items—coconut and canned pineapple, to be specific—on hand.   

For many, this issue of a trip to the store would probably not be something to even think about.  But in my world, muffins are almost always something I make on the spur of the moment.  For example... when it's ten o'clock at night....and I discover that I have allowed my supply of coffeecake, tea breads and scones in the freezer to dwindle to nothing....and I am facing a morning without cake.  This is the moment for a muffin.  And it is not the moment when I am going to run to the store.

Even so, the idea of this old favorite is so appealing that when I began to think about a muffin recipe that I could include in an upcoming breakfast breads class, it was this muffin that came to mind.  Since I still wanted a recipe that I could make with things I keep in my pantry, I decided to adapt it a bit...omitting the coconut and the pineapple....and in the end the nuts too.  I actually think it would be delicious with nuts...but I seem to put nuts in everything, so I decided to leave them out of this particular recipe.  If you want to add some, a half cup of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts would be perfect. 

Besides tweaking the amounts of the basic ingredients (flour, leaveners, spices, etc.), I only made a couple of other significant changes.  First, I substituted brown sugar for part of the granulated white sugar.  Brown sugar adds moisture and intensity of flavor and seemed like a good fit for the spices, carrots and apples.  I tried it once with all brown sugar and don't really recommend it.  The resulting muffins were so moist as to be almost damp...even though they were fully baked.

The other major change I made was to use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.  I remembered how nice it was in Gina DePalma's zucchini cake (that I made last summer) and felt like the spices, brown sugar, carrots and apples could all stand up to its naturally more robust flavor.  It worked beautifully, giving the muffins more depth of flavor and a pleasant, slightly bitter edge.

I am super happy with these muffins.  They use only staple ingredients that are part of the standard baking pantry...and fresh ingredients that most people will have during the winter months in their produce bins (carrots and apples).  Currants might be outside of the range of "standard" for some, but you can of course use dark or light raisins instead.  Best of all, these muffins are everything a good muffin is supposed to be:  a quick to make, sweet and tender, little bite of cake.  

Simple Carrot & Apple Spice Muffins

170 g. (1 1/2 c.) all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

65 g. (1/3 c.) brown sugar

100 g. (1/2 c.) granulated sugar

135 g. (2/3 c.) olive oil

150 g. (1 1/3 c., lightly packed) shredded carrots (from 2 large carrots)

85 g. (1/2 c., lightly packed) shredded apple (from half of a large apple, peeled and cored)

60 g. (1/2 c.) currants

Place the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.  Set aside.

Place the eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to break up the eggs.  Add the sugars and whisk until smooth.  Add the oil while whisking constantly.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth, homogenous, and thickened.  

Add the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula.  When the dry ingredients are almost absorbed 

add the carrots, apples and currants.  

Continue to fold, just until blended. 

Using a 1/4 cup (2 oz.) sized ice cream scoop, divide the batter among twelve muffin cups that have been lined with foil or paper liners.  The cups will be almost full.  

Transfer to a 350° oven and bake until golden brown, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean....about 25 to 30 minutes.  Let the muffins cool in the pan for five minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  The muffins will keep well at room temperature...(if stored air-tight) for a couple of days.  Freeze them for longer storage. 

Makes 12 muffins.

Notes:

• If you like, add 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts.
• If you don't have currants, substitute dark or golden raisins
• Use any crisp, juicy, flavorful eating apple that you like (you will have half an apple to snack on after making the muffins).  I have made these with both a Golden Delicious and a Pink Lady.  
• These muffins are even better the next day...moister and more flavorful.

Printable Recipe

Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Grapes

In general, I don't make a habit of watching food TV.  If I see something on Food TV, it is most often because someone else is already watching and something particular catches my attention as I pass through the room.  Such was the case a little over a year ago when I happened to see Martha Stewart doing a show on grains.  Because I am always looking for new ways to work with grains I paused to take a look.  When she began to prepare a farro salad that featured roasted grapes, I was hooked and I stopped to watch.  It looked so good I made a mental note to make the salad...and then, as happens all too often, it slipped my mind. 

I'm not sure what it was that made me think of this salad again, but I finally got around to trying it...or I guess I should say, my adaptation of it...over the holidays.  It really was delicious.  I wanted to share the recipe then...but just ran out of time.  I admit that the best time to make this salad is in the late fall when the big, juicy, California red grapes are at their peak.  But since good quality grapes are available year round, I decided to go ahead and post it now.  If you're lucky, you can still find California grapes in the stores....  Furthermore, if you are trying to get your eating back under control after a holiday season of sugary excess, this salad, with its abundance of grains, greens, fruits and vegetables....and its appealing textures and flavors...would be a great addition to the plan.

I said I adapted the salad, but I really didn't change it too much.  The original recipe called for roasting the grapes for 45 minutes.  Since I wanted them to still have a bit of body and texture, I reduced that by quite a bit.  I also wanted my salad to be substantial enough to serve as a meatless entrée, so I added some roasted butternut squash to the mix.  This turned out to be a particularly nice addition...lending not only more substance, but also complimenting the sweet character of the grapes.  As a final touch, I topped my version with some toasted nuts...pecans on one occasion, and walnuts on another...for added richness and crunch. 

Since this is the beginning of the year, and some may have found themselves here while trying to fulfill a resolution to cook more real food, I want to take a moment to point out where you can learn more about the basic elements in this recipe.  If you have never cooked with farro before, I wrote about my introduction to the delicious world of farro a couple of years ago.  In a later post, I wrote about the most common cooking methods.  For this recipe, you will be cooking the farro just as you would pasta...in boiling salted water.  If you don't think you like whole grains, farro is a perfect place to start...it is every bit as friendly and easy to love as pasta.

If you are new to roasting vegetables...or have struggled to get your roasted vegetables just right...I wrote a detailed post several years ago on how to roast vegetables.  After reading that post, the method used in this recipe—roasting the butternut squash and red onions together first...and then adding the grapes towards the end—will make sense.  Doing it this way insures that the butternut squash and red onions (which take longer to cook than the grapes) will be tender and well-caramelized and that the grapes will still have substance and juice.  Don't worry if the red onions get a little crispy...this will add tender crunch and subtle sweetness.  If some of the onions threaten to burn though, either remove the ones that are getting too dark with a pair of tongs, or tuck them under a grape...or a chunk of squash...where they will be protected from the heat of the oven. 

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.  If you like grains...or want to like grains...you will find a lot of recipes to experiment with here on my blog.  You can click on a specific grain that interests you in the sidebar at the right...or go to the recipes page and scroll down to the grains section.  I hope that you will find something that appeals to you...but if not, check back occasionally.  I love grains and towards the end of February will be teaching an all new class devoted entirely to the subject.  One or two of those recipes are certain to wind up here.    

Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Grapes

2/3 c. pecans or walnuts

4 c. cubed (1/2-inch) butternut squash, (from a 2 lb. squash, peel and seed before dicing)

3 to 4 T. olive oil

1 T. Brown sugar

1 medium red onion (about 8 to 10 oz.), halved, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

3 c. large red, seedless grapes, halved (about 14 oz.)

1 c. pearled or semi-pearled farro

2 T. sherry vinegar

2 oz. baby kale, arugula, baby spinach or other young, hearty green

Salt & pepper

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Spread the nuts on a small baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350° oven until golden and fragrant...about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate to cool.  When cool enough to handle, break the nuts into coarse pieces, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Set aside.  Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

In a large bowl, toss the squash and onions with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt, pepper and brown sugar.  Spread in a snug single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized, stirring once and being careful not to tear the squash—about 20 to 30 minutes (see note).  Toss the grapes with a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over the caramelized squash and onions.  Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast, stirring once, until the grapes are just tender...another 10 to 20 minutes or so.  Set aside. 

While the vegetables and grapes roast, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the farro and simmer until tender (it should still have texture)...about 25 minutes.  Drain well.   Transfer to a large wide bowl.  Add the vegetables and sherry vinegar and toss to combine.  Because the salad is to be served slightly warm, or at room temperature, the farro and vegetables need to cool a bit.  This is best accomplished by spreading it out in the bowl a bit (as opposed to mounding it in the center).  You can also spread the mixture out on the baking sheet the vegetables were roasted on (return everything to the bowl to finish the salad).

When the farro has cooled to the point you want, add the baby kale and toss to combine.  Taste and correct the seasoning with vinegar, salt & pepper.  If the salad seems dry, drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Transfer to a platter or individual plates and scatter the goat cheese and nuts over all and serve. 

Serves 4 as an entrée....6 to 8 as a side.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Note:  The length of time you roast the squash before adding the grapes will depend on the firmness of the grapes.  Softer, riper grapes will only need about 10 minutes in the oven...so they will be added when the squash and onions have been in the oven about 30 minutes (a little more or less, depending on your oven...you want them to be tender and beginning to nicely caramelize).  If your grapes are very firm, they might take as long as 20 minutes.  The squash and onions should be just beginning to caramelize when you add these firmer grapes.  Basically the total roasting time should be about 40 minutes...adding the grapes at the optimal point so they are just tender when the squash and onions are well caramelized.  

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What's in Season?... Blood Oranges

Over the years, For Love of the Table has turned out to be a lot of things...some planned, some not.  Always food, cooking and table related...but also covering a wide ranging array of topics.  I have focused on basic techniques...and because I am always learning, I have also covered not-so-basic techniques.  I have posted complicated recipes appropriate for a formal meal (from my private dinner service) or a weekend project...as well as things that were simply what I happened to be eating and enjoying at the moment.  There have been many posts for foods so simple they don't really require a recipe.  As for a theme...if you discount the fact that a preponderance of the posted recipes reflect my personal addictions to cake and pasta...I think it's fair to say that my blog is almost always about enjoying the abundance of each season.  So this past Christmas when my good friend Bonnie gave me a handmade calendar (created and drawn by her daughter Johanna) that celebrated a single fresh food each month, I knew I had not only a lovely calendar, I also had inspiration for at least one post a month.

For January, Johanna chose blood oranges.  What a perfect way to start the year!  Blood oranges begin to trickle into the stores in December, but they don't really hit their stride and peak until January and February...finally tapering off in March and April.  At a time of year when the bright and cheerful colors of the holidays have abruptly faded into the muted and sometimes depressing grays of winter, their brilliant red flesh is a welcome sight.  A glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice will give the most ordinary breakfast a special feel.

Blood oranges of course taste of orange...but at the same time seem to have more depth.  They can be very sweet...but also often have a pleasantly tart edge.  I think it is this rich, sweet-tart character...combined with their ruby red coloring...that causes many to say that they have a raspberry-like flavor.  I'm not sure I would go that far...but they definitely have a "something more" about them.  They are apparently the most popular of all the orange varieties in their native Italy and once tasted seem to inspire fervent allegiance.  I was surprised when I purchased my first of the season last week to observe the holiday-weary and rather glassy-eyed clerk at the checkout suddenly perk up as she rang them through, exclaiming "I didn't know they were here!  I LOVE blood oranges"...

As noted above, blood oranges make wonderful juice.  And they are also beautiful in desserts...tarts and upside down cakes being two places where they really shine.  But I love them best in salads.   You can use them in any salad where you would normally use a navel orange:  with fennel...red onions....beets....avocado...olives....arugula....all manner of endives....pomegranate.....grapefruit and tangerines....  You get the idea.  I posted a citrus, avocado and olive salad a couple of years ago that featured slices of blood orange.  If you have never cut an orange into pinwheels or filets, that particular post includes some basic instructions on how to do just that. 

Today, I wanted to share one of my very favorite salads from Suzanne Goin's book Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  Goin created this salad as a showcase for the blood orange.  This is one of those recipes that really isn't a recipe.  As she points out, it's more of a tapestry....an artful arrangement of delicious and beautiful foods on the plate.  Her recipe has a definite Italian feel....whereas my version is more Spanish, featuring Manchego cheese (instead of Parmesan) and Marcona almonds.  You should feel free to alter the specific ingredients to suit your tastes...and your pantry.

I was so inspired as I flipped through the beautiful drawings in Johanna's calendar.  It is my hope during the coming months....as I occasionally share a recipe that features the ingredient she chose to represent a particular month....that you will be inspired too.  Happy New Year. 

Blood Oranges, Dates, Manchego & Marcona Almonds

15 Deglet Noor dates (see note)

4 blood oranges

4 oz. chunk Manchego (see note)

2 oz. arugula or other spicy green

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Extra Virgin Olive oil (see note)

1/2 c. Marcona almonds (see note)

Fleur de Sel

Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the dates in half and remove the pits. If you like, cut the halves lengthwise.

Slice the stem and blossom ends from the blood oranges.  Place each fruit cut side down on the cutting board and following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and cottony pith—working from top to bottom, and rotating the fruit as you go.  Slice each orange thinly into 8 to 10 pinwheels, discarding any seeds that you find.  Place the orange slices in a bowl and set aside.

Place the Manchego, flat side down, on a cutting board.  Using a chef’s knife, shave large thin slices of cheese from the chunk. 

Place the arugula in a bowl and give it a squeeze of lemon and a light drizzle of olive oil.  Scatter one third of the arugula on a large platter (or divide among individual plates).  Arrange one-third of the oranges, dates, cheese and nuts.  Scatter another layer of arugula, and continue layering in the same manner, letting the ingredients intertwine together.  Finish by drizzling more olive oil over the salad and seasoning lightly with fleur de sel, pepper.  If you like, drizzle some of the blood orange juice remaining in the bowl over all.  Serves 4 to 6

Notes:

• If Deglet Noor dates are unavailable, use Medjool. Medjool are larger and softer….so use 8 and cut them in quarters or sixths (lengthwise) rather than in halves or quarters. Medjool dates are easier to cut when they have been refrigerated. 
• In the original recipe, Goin uses almond oil. If you have almond oil, use it, otherwise, a nice Extra Virgin olive oil is fine. 
• If you don't have Marcona almonds, simply use regular almonds, roasting them yourself. Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350° oven and bake until slightly darkened and fragrant. Set aside to cool. 

(Recipe adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin)

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