Quinoa Goat Cheese Risotto

I was asked a few weeks ago about other ways to cook quinoa.

I do use quinoa for most grain/rice substitutes, in salads and under tagines etc. But I have never considered using it as a risotto ingredient.  Then a lovely friend sent me this recipe to try. I was surprised – the results were pretty good! I have to admit that goat cheese is up there in the top 10 for me, I love the texture and tang of taste. And the goat cheese here makes it taste super indulgent.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup quinoa
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb Butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken stock (You could use vegetable)
½ cup white wine
500 grams fresh baby spinach leaves
small package goat cheese

Parmesan, parsley and lemon zest for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine metal sieve until water becomes clear.
2. Sauté spinach in a little olive oil until tender and set aside.
3. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so.
4. Add the quinoa, wine and cayenne.  Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, stirring frequently – as you would for ‘normal’ risotto.
5. Add enough broth to cover quinoa.  Simmer uncovered over medium low heat.  Add broth as the liquid absorbs and stir frequently.  Cooking the quinoa will take about 15 minutes
6. add in the  spinach in last two minutes of cooking.
7. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and 3/4 of the goat cheese.  Stir.
8. Crumble remaining goat cheese, parsley, lemon zest and parmesan over the quinoa.

Delicious!

Labneh

I am always getting asked how I make my own Labneh.

Seriously – nothing could be easier. It’s cheating, not cooking!

• 1 litre yoghurt (full fat yields a creamier texture of cheese, full fat Greek is my all time favourite)***
• Cheesecloth or muslin
• stainless steel or glass bowl
• String or very thick rubber band
• fine mesh sieve (You can do without this but it makes life easier)

***Avoid commercial yoghurt containing gelatine. Gelatine prevents the whey (liquid) from separating out and making the cheese.

I do make my own yoghurt as well, but you do not need to.

1. Pour yoghurt into a large bowl and stir just until smooth. Take the cheesecloth and fold into several layers of thickness. Place the cheesecloth in the strainer so that it is laying flat against the bottom with the ends up and over the sides.

2. Transfer the yoghurt into the cheesecloth, and then gather up the ends. You will end up with a “sack” containing the yoghurt. Tie the sack securely with string or wrap with the rubber band or just twist it up and peg it closed.

3. Hang the sack containing the yoghurt from a cabinet knob or handle and place the bowl underneath to catch the whey that will drain out. Let the yoghurt drain for 8 to 24 hours. The longer the yoghurt drains, the thicker the cheese will be. Overnight is preferable. Because I am in QLD, I always drain in the refrigerator. But you can drain it anywhere!

4. Remove the sack and open it up. You will see the cheese. You can use the whey that has drained out for cooking – we use ours in smoothies. Store the cheese in the refrigerator. It should keep for approximately one week but I have kept it much longer – if it lasts and doesn’t get eaten up :) One cup of yoghurt yields about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cheese.

6. Serve sprinkled with chopped basil leaves or drizzled with a little olive oil along with pita bread, black olives, stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh, or any of your favourite Middle Eastern foods. Try sprinkling on Zaatar. Or blending in creamy roasted garlic… or… roll into balls and preserve in flavoured olive oil.

Spring, Brisbane CBD

I am loving Spring – Brisbane’s new restaurant, takeaway, cooking school, retail concept and wine store. What a great all-in-one idea.

Looking through the big panes of glass that section off the area from the street, you are greeted with eye candy of home wares and gourmet goodies. Take away day patrons can choose from gourmet salads, sandwiches stuffed with organic rotisserie chicken, rolled roasted pork with crackling, spring lamb or roast beef. The patisserie  displays a mouth watering range of cakes, brioche and cookies. Or how about a French ‘pizza’ of caramelised onion, anchovies and olives; a lamb, eggplant caviar and mint chutney sandwich or a divine ratatouille salad?

And if you are not in the mood for a takeaway, you can join the communal table, situated centrally between cooking school and delicatessen, overlooking the terrace.

And then there is dinner.

And, I was so fortunate to join a group of people at a pre-opening dinner just before Christmas. Brisbane sommelier Peter Marchant hosted this dinner which was composed of six wonderful courses, matched with wines. It was a wonderful night with great company, great food and great wine. It was a shame I had a tummy bug all that day and had to keep leaving the table. I don’t think anyone noticed  right until the end – when they all thought I had snuck off home!

My souvenir:

One for my collection of obscure or rare menus from restaurants.

Their cooking school will be run by chef Joshua Lopez who was once at 2 small rooms, one of my very favourite places in Brisbane. There will be lunchtime cooking lessons and guest celebrity chef classes. Looking forward to trying these!

Gradook Mou Op Sapparod (Baked Pork Ribs with Pineapple)

Not everyone is fond of pairing fruit with meat. Yet in many Asian dishes, this coupling is considered a normal and almost necessary part of daily cooking. This Thai dish is so simple and so tasty, and pineapples are so good in Queensland, just coming into their peak season (about March).

These ribs are tender, tangy and terrific.  Easy to make, simply  coat the ribs in the marinade and let them bake slow and long – the key to making them tender and soft.

Ingredients:

• 500g pork ribs (Pork  belly strips cut into bite size chunks)
• 1 fresh pineapple cut into chunks
• 1 birds eye chilli, chopped (add more if you like it spicy!)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (or thicken stock with cornflour if coeliac)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 tbsp  tomato sauce

Cooking:

• Heat wok, add oil. Add pork and stir fry until almost cooked.
• Remove from heat and drain on paper towel or over the grid on the wok.
• Remove oil from work.
• Heat water in wok over medium heat, wait until boiling then add pork.
• Add pineapple and the rest ingredients, and turn down heat until simmering.
• Cover work, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the spare ribs are tender.
• Remove from heat. Transfer to the serving plate and garnish with spring onion.
• Serve immediately with hot steamed rice and stir fried greens.

Note: * After cooking the pork, I do the rest of the process in a large cast iron pot in the oven. Keep it on low and remove the heat for the last 10 mins or to really sticky them up.

(Image from google, the lens fogged up so much my image is deplorable!)

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream

You all know how I bought myself an ice cream machine at Aldi Homeart a few months back. I have to tell you all again: for $59.00 it’s as good as the Cuisineart one I have had my eye on.

It’s awesome.

Anyhow.

Strawberries and Amaretto are 2 of my favourite foods. So, combined with a hot day and the elcheapo machine, I produced some ice cream.

Yum.

3 cups strawberries  washed, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (I bought some 10 year aged at the Black Pearl bloggers do)
1/4 cup Vanilla Sugar 
1 + 1/4 cups sugar ( reserve 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste  
2 tablespoons Amaretto
1 1/4 cup milk 
1 1/4 cups sour cream 
1 cup pouring cream

Line a baking sheet (make sure it has a low side or small lip) with alfoil. Spread the halved strawberries. Combine Vanilla Sugar and  1 cup of sugar, sprinkle over the berries, drizzle the Balsamic Vinegar over the berries and sugar.

Roast at 180  until the sugar dissolves and the juices start to bubble and caramelise. This will take about 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and pour into a bowl. Strain berries  from the juices, while mushing them slightly. Set aside the mashed berries in one small container and allow the hot strawberry sugar balsamic juice to cool in another container. Add vanilla paste or extract and the Amaretto. Set Aside.

Mix the milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar for a few minutes on low speed in a mixer. Add the creams. Mix well. While mixing, add the Berry Juices, and mashed berries. Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and churn until ready, but make sure it is slightly of soft consistency. Pour and spread into your container or a loaf pan. Freeze for several more hours in the freezer until ready to serve.

Viola.