Grain Pilaf

The original recipe for this called for "lentils du Puy".  That is something not available in my small town, but I did have green lentils and they worked well.  Regular green or brown lentils only need a cooking time of approx 10 minutes instead of the suggested 20 in this recipe.  Some olives and Feta make a nice addition to this recipe.   From Food and Drink Winter 2001.

1/2 cup lentils du Puy
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup bulghur
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley


Combine lentils and water to cover.  Bring to boil on high heat, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add bulghur and quinoa, cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until grains are cooked.

Drain any extra water.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4

Quinoa Risotto

There are several varieties of Quinoa out there now and a bit of colour in this dish works well.  We eat a lot of quinoa in our house so this was a nice recipe to try.  From Food and Drink Autumn 2010.

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup carnaloni rice
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups hot vegetable, chicken stock or water
2 cups roasted diced squash ***
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp white truffle oil, optional

Garnish
1/4 cup Parmesan shavings

1. Place water in a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add quinoa, cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.  Remove from burner and set aside to steam, still covered while preparing rice.
2. Heat oil in a wide heavy bottom soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add rice and saute until rice is becoming whiter and feels very hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.  Add onion and saute another 2 minutes or until softened.
3. Add vegetable stock, bring to boil, cover pan and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes or until rice is al dente.
4. Add squash and quinoa along with another splash of stock if mixture seems dry.  Stir until they are fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in Parmesan cheese, butter and parsley.  Serve hot with a small drizzle of white truffle oil.  Garnish with shaved Parmesan.

***To roast squash, toss diced squash with 2 tbsp olive oil, place on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for 15 to 18 minutes or until tender and golden, tossing once halfway through cooking.