I cooked a Quinoa chicken salad at the weekend ( can you say I cooked a salad , Joe/ Matthew, JJ or Miss A?) and it was delicious. It was from my 2014 Recipe book and I found this interesting piece I had written beneath the recipe:
"*if like me you had not heard of Quinoa before, my recipe researcher back in the UK, with the help of Wikipedia, tells me that:
“Quinoa (the name is derived from the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name kinwa or occasionally "Qin-wah") originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, where it was successfully domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption, though archaeological evidence shows a non-domesticated association with pastoral herding some 5,200 to 7,000 years ago.
The nutrient composition is favorable compared with common cereals. Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and acceptable quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
After harvest, the seeds must be processed to remove the coating containing the bitter-tasting saponins. Quinoa seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. Quinoa leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is limited.”
He gave me this information as I was searching for it in Bahrain and relaying his phone message to the grocery section manager and his colleagues at the information desk in Lulu, Bahrain. My special thanks go to my brother Andrew for his assistance and guidance with so many of my recipes. This is what it looks like!"
Source: Neil's Recipe Book , 2014. Publisher : Neil Page 64 ( accessed 24.10.2020)
As is usually the way, I thought that will make a good blog, and as it is a while since I cooked or did a recipe blog, here is the recipe for the salad and some photos!
Chicken and Quinoa salad with beetroot yogurt
(from the Gulf Daily News, Bahrain)
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs with the skin left on ( I used breasts as I prefer breasts to thighs, and , as I am on a permanent diet, I buy my breasts with the skin off)
2 red onions cut into wedges (keep the roots intact)
3 carrots cut into batons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon, sliced
2 Tablespoons clear honey
250 grams Quinoa*
(Aisle 10, Lulu, Riffa- in the organic section!) (Editors note 2020- "and now in the Organic section, bottom shelf, in the corner by the window at Alosra Riffa palms, I find Lulu is too far to drive these days!")
140 grams vacuum packed beetroot (not in vinegar) finely chopped.
5 tablespoons Greek style yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
Small handful dill, chopped and a few fonds to garnish
1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the carrots, onion, lemon and chicken in a roasting tray as in the picture above.
Season and then drizzle with oil and bake for 30 minutes. Stir and add the honey and cook for another 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
2.Cook the Quinoa following the on pack instructions and rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.
3. Mix the beetroot, yogurt, garlic and dill with seasoning in a bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the Quinoa, roasted veg and 2 tablespoons of the cooking juices. Pop the chicken thighs/breasts and lemon slices on top and scatter with the dill fonds. Serve with a dollop of beetroot yogurt on the side
I hope you like this recipe and I will be back with more recipes soon. Until then, as they say in Tagalog:
Ingat Palagi ( meaning take care always) ( or as Jullytot taught me yesterday - Ingat Kadin- in reply to Ingat Palagi, meaning Take care too )
Mahal Kita ( I love you)
Kita Kits ( see you soon- 78 working days on 26.10.2020 when I wrote this)
Editors note- 1.3.2022- still stuck in Bahrain, waiting for letter from Bapco security for 2 weeks now to get my Good Behaviour Certificate updated!!
Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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