Despite its status as the poster child for the so called ‘clean eating’ movement and other such nonsense, quinoa is actually a damn cool grain. Not only is it nutritionally dense, but it’s a pretty resilient little crop. Traditionally grown in the Andes, quinoa can withstand all sorts of temperature extremes and requires a relatively small amount of water. The problem sustainability-wise however, is that new demand from the West for this indigenous grain has impacted on local supplies of this staple food. As a result, if you eat quinoa on the regular, it might be a good idea to occasionally look for quinoa grown closer to home. This recipe is based on one in Ottolenghi’s Simple cookbook (which actually does what it says on the tin) and makes for a cracking side or main.
What's the A to V?
Almonds are a great source of vitamin E, while quinoa is a good plant source of protein and fibre. As it’s a grain, it’s also a source of vitamin B1, manganese and magnesium.
Ingredients (Serves 4 as a side):
200g of quinoa or couscous (heck, even bulgar wheat or rice would work)
Olive oil
Chilli flakes or 1 small dried chilli
250g packet of cherry tomatoes
A handful of sultanas or raisins
1 onion, sliced very finely into crescent moons
1 tsp of cumin seeds
30g of almonds
Two handfuls of herbs (I like coriander, parsley and mint but over to you)
2 tsps of ras el hanout or baharat spice powder (optional)
The grated zest of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to season
Method
Boil roughly 400ml of water, enough to comfortably cover your quinoa in a saucepan, and simmer for around 20 minutes or until your quinoa has separated and you can see what looks like little spirals of grain floating to the top of the saucepan. (Note, you’ll need to cook other grains according to their own logic/instructions.)
Meanwhile in a separate pan, heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry your onion with a pinch of salt for roughly 8 minutes or so until soft, translucent, and starting to brown. Add your tomatoes to the pan alongside your spice powder (if using any) and cumin seeds. Turn off the heat once the tomatoes have started to blister.
In an oven at around 180 degrees toast your almonds with a drizzle of olive oil and your chili flakes. After about 10 minutes these should be toasted and ready to remove from the oven. Be sure to keep a beady eye out during this step, as nuts have a horrible tendency to turn from not done to blackened husks of their former selves in a flash.
In a large bowl, mix your drained quinoa with the almonds, onions and tomatoes. Grate over your lemon zest and as much chopped herb as you can handle and serve while warm.