Spanish Quinoa

Hi Everyone.  It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club, where each month, a group of bloggers are assigned a blog, and we get to choose a recipe from that blog to feature on our own blogs, then we all reveal our assigned blogs on the same day.

This month I was assigned the blog:  2CookinMamas by Linda and Christina, a mother daughter blogging team devoted to making nutritious family-friendly foods, including many gluten free recipes.     

Linda and Christina have so many wonderful recipes on their blog, choosing just one to feature here was not an easy task.  I was hoping to find a new quinoa recipe to try and I was delighted to find not one, but ten - Quinoa Spinach Cakes, Quinoa and Roasted Broccoli Salad, Quinoa Stuffing, and more.  My selection:  Spanish Quinoa, a healthy take on spanish rice.  It was absolutely delicious and I will most definitely be making it again and again.  Excellent recipe, ladies!

Drain the canned tomatoes and chiles, reserving the juice.

There's a lot of flavor in that juice.

To the reserved juice, add enough chicken stock to equal 2 cups of liquid. 

Heat a little oil in a large skillet.

Saute the onions and peppers in the oil.  Season with a pinch of salt.

Mmmm!

The peppers and onions are done.  Look at all the wonderful fond in the bottom of the pan.  Fond = flavor!

Next I added the tomatoes and green chiles.

Give everything a stir and make a little well in the center.

Add the chili powder.

Stir well, sauteing that chili powder to "bloom" the flavor.

Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which can taste bitter or soapy.  Rinsing easily removes the saponin.  Even if your quinoa claims to be pre-rinsed, play it safe and rinse it anyway.

Back to the recipe, add the reserved canned tomatoes and green chile juice mixed with chicken stock.

Give everything a good stir. 

Bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• braiser https://amzn.to/2SPd6lO

• mesh sieves https://amzn.to/3fCDbP5

• quinoa https://amzn.to/2SQXXjX

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Spanish Quinoa

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3/4 cup chopped onion

• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

• pinch of salt

• 10 ounce can diced tomatoes

• 4 ounce can green chiles

• 2 teaspoons ground chili powder

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

• 2 cups chicken broth (try my homemade)

Directions

1. Drain canned tomatoes and green chiles, reserving liquids in a 2-cup measure; add enough chicken stock to equal 2 cups.

2. In a large skillet, saute onions, peppers, and salt until onions are translucent and starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

3. Add canned tomatoes and green chiles; stir for a minute or two; add chili powder and saute for 30-60 seconds.

4. Add the quinoa and chicken stock mixture; stir well to combine.

5. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Roast Beef and Mushroom Crostini

Need a killer appetizer that's guaranteed to please?  Look no further than these Roast Beef and Mushroom Crostini.  

Start by cutting 8 slices of really good quality french baguette about 1/2-inch thick.

Place the bread slices on a quarter sheet pan and drizzle both sides with really good extra virgin olive oil.

Use a pastry brush to spread that oil all over.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pop in oven until toasted.  Watch them carefully - mine only took about 10 minutes.  Remove the toasted bread from the oven and rub the top of each slice with a whole clove of peeled garlic. 

In the meantime, chop a pound of button mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces.

Heat a little butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat....

....and for extra flavor, add a clove of crushed garlic.

Add the mushrooms and a pinch of kosher salt.

Excuse the bad photo, but you can see the mushrooms will give off a lot of water as they begin to cook.

But that water will eventually evaporate and the mushrooms will shrink down, their flavor intensifying along the way.

Stir frequently until the mushrooms are nice and caramelized.  Turn off the heat, it's time to assemble the crostini.

Top each slice of toasted, garlic-rubbed bread with one slice of thin slice of premium roast beef. If you'll be eating these crostini "in polite company", you may want to chop the roast beef. 

Top each slice of roast beef with 2 small slices of ripe tomato (I used small Campari tomatoes, but Romas would be nice as well).  Season tomatoes with a light sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Top the tomato slices with 1 heaping tablespoon of caramelized mushrooms and a generous sprinkling of sliced scallions.

And there you go.  Try not to eat half of them before you serve your guests!

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite bread knife https://amzn.to/3fAtRLC

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3fAhFub

• silicone pastry brush https://amzn.to/2SPcFba

• garlic peeler https://amzn.to/2SQXpup

• large nonstick skillet https://amzn.to/3bqojA4

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Roast Beef and Mushroom Crostini

Makes 8 Crostini

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 slices of baguette (1 1/2 x 3 x 1/4-inch thick)

• premium extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic (1 whole, 1 pressed)

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 pound white button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch dice

• 8 slices thinly sliced premium roast beef

• 16 slices small campari or roma tomato (1 1/2-inch diameter)

• 2 scallions, chopped (green tops only)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Brush both sides of baguette slices with olive oil and place on unlined quarter sheet pan; sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Place in oven on center rack until toasted, about 10 minutes (watch carefully).

4. Remove toasted bread from oven and rub the top of each slice with a whole peeled garlic clove; set aside.

5. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.

6. Add mushrooms, pressed garlic, and a pinch of salt; saute until caramelized, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

7. Remove from heat.

8. Top each slice of toasted bread with 1 thin slice of premium roast beef.

9. Next add 2 slices of tomato and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

10. Top the tomatoes with 1 heaping tablespoon of caramelized tomatoes and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Note

• Chill leftover mushrooms in an airtight container for up to 5 days.