Crying Onions

I must be perfectly honest when talking about quinoa (which, to the best of my knowledge is pronounced “keen-wa”): I usually find it pretty boring. I first heard of the stuff about two years ago, and everyone who had eaten it waxed philosophic about its wonders. First of all, it’s a grass, not a grain, but please don’t ask me what the difference is, because I couldn’t tell you to save my life. The only significance this has for me is that it’s kosher for Passover, which seemed like a big plus for a time when rice, pasta, and bread are pretty much off the menu. It’s also high in protein, which makes it a healthy, complete meal with just a few tweaks.

However, even in my grain-deprived Passover state, I was really quite underwhelmed by quinoa. It was mediocre at best, somewhat bitter, and otherwise not particularly flavorful. Somewhat disappointed, I decided that I would probably never make it again.

I lived quinoa-free until a couple weeks ago, when a coworker brought in a salad made with quinoa and tomatoes for a group lunch. It looked light and fresh and summery, and I was tempted enough to try it. Having had such mediocre experience with quinoa, I was surprised to find that it was actually incredibly delicious; the juicy tomato contrasted beautifully with slightly toothy quinoa, and the runoff from the tomatoes created a light dressing for the entire salad. She threw in a few herbs for good measure, and called it a day.

This experience got me thinking about what else could be done with quinoa, and I decided to put together this salad, which is merely a variation on the one she made. I substituted mango for the tomato, and used mint to bring out a cool, refreshing feeling. For a dressing, I mixed vinegar and brown sugar to get a sweet-and-sour kick with a little complexity. Whether made savory with tomatoes or sweet with mango, this salad made me understand why people fell in love with quinoa.

Serves 3 as a main course

What you need:

• 1.5 c uncooked quinoa
• 3 c water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1-2 mangos, (depending on how much you like mango) cut into small cubes
• handful mint leaves, cut into strips Note: do this by stacking a bunch of mint leaves on top of each other, then rolling into a log, and then slicing the whole log. Much easier and better than chopping individual leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

What to do:

1. Wash quinoa in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear. Put it in a medium size saucepan with the water and salt, and bring to a boil on high. Turn the heat down and cook, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat, put the quinoa in a bowl and stick in the fridge to cool.
2. Put the sugar and vinegar in a pot and heat on low until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. Refrigerate everything until just before serving. When you’re ready to eat, add mix everything together.

Tags: fruit, grain, vegetarian

Posted August 31st, 2009 at 7:37 pm. Categories: main courses, sides. Leave a comment or trackback from your own site.