Quinoa and Parsley Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh

High protein quinoa substitutes for traditional bulgur wheat in this Middle Eastern parsley and grain salad. Quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all 8 essential amino acids. It’s also higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains. You can use red or tri-color quinoa, I used regular quinoa this time.

Rinsed quinoa

Remember to rinse the quinoa well as this will get rid of the saponin it contains.  Saponin is a natural pesticide quinoa produces so birds won’t eat it. It doesn’t harm humans; it just makes the quinoa bitter if not rinsed well.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed with hot water

2 cups water

1 bunch fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped arugula leaves

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

½ cup grated carrots

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Real Salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Just as with rice, do not stir—tilt the pan to see if there is any water left. Set aside.

well-chopped parsley

Meanwhile, trim and discard the parsley stems. Chop, chop, chop the leaves until they are very fine, no piece larger than the head of a pin. you should end up with a heaping 1/2 cup of chopped parsley.

Transfer the quinoa to a bowl, fluffing with a fork. Stir in the chopped parsley, arugula, carrots and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and cayenne. Pour over the quinoa and toss well. Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Parsley Salsa Verde

We know all about basil pesto and most of us are familiar with Mexican green cilantro salsa. Did you know about chermoula, the Moroccan green sauce of cilantro and parsley, seasoned with paprika and cumin? And chimichurri, originally from Argentina and Uruguay, a variant spiced with red pepper flakes? These international green sauces are customarily spooned over meat or fish, but they equally complement and brighten vegetables, soups, pastas and eggs, or become a spread or dip for bread. Since we have beets in our Ranui CSA box this week, steam them, cut them in wedges and garnish with this sauce. Everything should be finely chopped—you want a texture that has bumpy bites on your tongue versus the smoother feel you get with a food processor. And feel free to ad lib–adding other herbs if you have them.

2 shallots, finely diced

3/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar or lemon juice

1/2 teasoon Real Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately–the bright green color fades quickly and this sauce is best freshly made.

Makes about 1 cup salsa.

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Carrots with Shallots and Parsley

Our Ranui CSA garden is happily abundant this month and at least for a little while, I don’t have to buy carrots, a staple in our fridge, at the store. John’s carrots are sweet and delicious raw in salads, but to tempt us away from habits, here is a French inspired recipe, steamed carrots glazed in butter. Credit goes to Deborah Madison for the idea, using shallots from last weeks box and parsley from this week’s.

1 pound carrots

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

2 tablespoon minced shallots

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim, and scrub or peel the carrots. Cut them into 4-inch lengths or so, depending on the size of the carrot you start with. Steam the carrot, covered, over boiling water until they just yield to the tip of a knife, 5 to 12 minutes, again depending on their size.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the minced shallot and cook until it begins to color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the steamed well-drained carrots, and the chopped parsley. Toss and cook a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

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Gwen’s Parmesan Vinaigrette with Heirloom Tomatoes

Gwen is my foodie and hiking friend who lives in Carefree Arizona. She publishes her own cookbooks and a writes a blog called penandfork. In fact, she set up muffintalk at wordpress.com after she heard how my husband calls it “talking muffin” when he notices me yakking about recipes and bakeries etc. with fellow pastry chefs and other food-minded folk.

I gleaned this recipe from Gwen’s website, also Pen and Fork, in 2003, and I fed Gwen and her fly-fisherman husband heirloom tomatoes with vinaigrette when they came for dinner last month.

Ranui Gardens heirloom tomatoes this year have been prolific, for which we are grateful. I remember years when we were lucky to get 2 tomatoes all season and they’ve been in our box the last 5 weeks!

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon Real Salt

2 teaspoons minced red onion

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc.)

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, onion, Parmesan cheese, herbs and black pepper in a blender and whir until creamy, about 20 seconds. With the motor running, pouring through the top, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Pour over lovingly sliced heirloom tomatoes.

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