Playing pretend

This has been one long slog of a winter.  A few snow days here and there can be charming but after #7, you turn weary...and may start to lose it.  Snow-shoveling has been our predominant form of exercise (okay, more so for my husband) and I am just generally tired of feeling tired.

A picture from a few storms ago - our snow piles have reached a lot higher since

On the positive side, I'm really grateful we don't have any power outage issues this year.  We're lucky to be snug inside our home and I have plenty of time to putter in the kitchen so I won't complain too long.  At this point, I just have to resist the urge to sit or sleep all day in the face of all this continuous cold, snow, and ice.  I'm seriously ready for a change.  I know that this year, I will appreciate the warm seasons - when it eventually gets here - like never before!

There's a whole lot I miss about the spring and summer...the fresh produce, the farmer's market, the sunshine!  Not having to put on six layers of clothing to head outside would be amazing.  And I'm ready to crave lighter foods again, to put on t-shirts and open-toe shoes, to sit outside for a meal! Well, the time for all that is not quite nigh but I can pretend in the meantime...and I'm doing it with food.

This quinoa pilaf is one example.  It makes me think of spring and summer for some reason.  It's a lighter, vegetarian option, and the Asian influences of ginger, rice vinegar, mirin, and scallions make for bright flavors.  It also makes me think of this cold soba noodle I like making and stowing away in the fridge during the warm months.  

So while hearty stews, chili, big bowls of hot soup, and plenty of starch have been welcomed companions to these cold days and nights, I'm switching up my eating pattern a bit to cheer things up.  I've been buying grape tomatoes like it's in season and pretending my zucchini and (frozen) corn are fresh from the farmer's market.  Who says adults can't play pretend!


I caught sight of this recipe from America's Test Kitchen's facebook page right around New Years.  I guess it was the time for healthier recipes.  It had a catch line, saying "meet the quinoa salad of your dreams" and I was intrigued because I really do love quinoa and when I looked closer, I realized it featured a lot of flavors that I'm partial to - spice from ginger, tartness from rice vinegar, balanced by a bit of sweetness from mirin.

I'm curious: has anyone ever seen "prewashed" quinoa in stores?  I wish I could get my hands on that - I didn't know such a thing existed until it was called for in this recipe.  As you most likely know, quinoa really must be washed before using.  If not, it has a bitter, almost medicine-like, taste to it.  I have yet to find prewashed quinoa so I had to take the additional step of rinsing and drying out the quinoa before moving on to toast and cook it.  I would surely love to skip that step (and cook this a lot more often as a result) but it was worth the effort nonetheless.  

This quinoa pilaf comes out the way I like it - tender and fluffy, not mushy. The key is not to use too much liquid.  When I make plain quinoa, I go with a ratio of 1 cup of quinoa to 1 2/3 cups water (not the recommended 1 to 2 ratio you're likely to see on packages).  This recipe produces the individual grains of tender quinoa that I like, with the Asian flavors I always enjoy.  I tried adding a bit of minced garlic to this recipe and I actually found that it's better without it because the garlic seemed to overpower and take away from the ginger, which I like in abundance.  

I have to say that this really is a terrific quinoa pilaf/salad recipe.  I can't say that I ever dream of quinoa but if I did, this is pretty close to what I'd be dreaming of.  


Recipe:

Quinoa Pilaf with Shiitake Mushrooms, Edamame, and Ginger
From Cooks Illustrated, recipe also available here

- 4 to 6 servings - 

1 1/2 cups prewashed quinoa*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on a bias
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated ginger (I like even a bit more)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup cooked shelled edamame
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin

* If you can't find prewashed quinoa (like me), you'll have to rinse the quinoa thoroughly using a fine mesh sieve.  Drain well and spread quinoa out on a clean dish towel set in a baking sheet to dry for about 15 minutes before using.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, dry toast the quinoa for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to pop and smell nutty and fragrant.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  

Place the now empty pan back on medium-low heat and heat oil until shimmering.  Add scallion whites, shiitakes, ginger and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until mushrooms are softened.

Raise heat to medium-high.  Add water and quinoa, and bring to a simmer,. Cover the pan and simmer on low-heat until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, 18-20 minutes, stirring once midday through. Remove pan from the heat, stir in edamame, and let sit for 10 minutes.  Fluff quinoa with a fork, stir in vinegar and mirin, then serve.  

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.  I prefer this quinoa pilaf warm or at room temperature, and I also like adding an additional splash of rice vinegar before serving for a little bit of fresh sharpness.