Capering and Cookery: Double Broccoli Quinoa {otherwise entitled: amazing}

Tonight's menu included lemon-pepper chicken and homemade applesauce, but something was lacking in the menu. Mama suggested I use the quinoa (keen-wah) we've had around and find a recipe that would be both different and delicious so that we wouldn't have to go the usual round of brown rice-blah.

Enter Google-search-gone-right-for-once.

I happened upon 101 Cookbooks: a recipe journal. Frankly, the name of the site wasn't that appealing, but one recipe caught my eye: Double Broccoli Quinoa. The reason the recipe struck me was simply because we had quinoa and we had broccoli and everyone in our family {more or less} likes both. The minute I read this recipe, looked at the photo (which I've pirated. It's Heidi's--remember that!) and thought about it for a second, I knew this was going to go on the dinner menu. It. was. amazing. Even with the alterations I made to the recipe. I've included my alterations on the recipe I'm sharing here, but if you follow this link you'll get to the original. :)

Source

Double Broccoli Quinoa

3 cups cooked quinoa*
5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup yogurt mixed with a little milk

Optional toppings: slivered basil, fire oil (optional)**, sliced avocado
crumbled feta or goat cheese

Heat the quinoa and set aside. I put cooked mine in chicken broth leftover from dinner a few nights ago.

Now barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pest a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, a drizzle of the chile oil, and some sliced avocado or any of the other optional toppings.

Serves 4 - 6.

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

**To make the red chile oil: You'll need 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you can, make the chile oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, then store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp again before using.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

I was impressed with the fresh, spunky flavor of this dish--perfectly filling while still feeling light...unlike most rice and grain dishes. The toasted almonds give it a nutty flavor and the lemon juice and yogurt spruce it up. Try this recipe--I promise you won't be disappointed!