When Jeff Maughan began researching quinoa in the 1980s, only diehard health nuts had heard of it. In fact, when Maughan, a plant geneticist at Brigham Young University, told people he studied the native Andean seed, they used to laugh. “They’d ask, ‘Is that some kind of dog or cat species?’” he says. “They had no idea.”
Not anymore.
We’ve all been there: You forgot to set the timer, or you stepped away from the stove and got totally distracted by something outside the kitchen. Next thing you know, that pot of grains you were planning to serve with dinner is overcooked beyond belief — like, cooked into submission, there’s no going back, definitely cut it for dinner kind of overcooked.
But don’t jump to the compost bin so fast — there’s still hope for those overcooked grains.
If you’ve ever wondered or been asked how vegetarians or vegans get enough protein, have I got a recipe for you. With quinoa, edamame, and peanuts, it’s supremely satisfying, but more importantly this is the most flavorful grain bowl I’ve ever made. The edamame mixture is a vegetarian version of kung pao chicken that’s just as sticky-salty-spicy as its inspiration.
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Here’s a thing I’ve been doing since the year began that’s made me very happy in the kitchen and it’s so simple, I completely expect you to roll your eyes at how un-revolutionary it is, but it goes like this: Find a recipe that sounds good to you and make it immediately. Don’t put it in the queue; don’t save it on that to-cook-one-day list, just dive in and dig in. So far, it’s been nothing but great; there was a giant egg bake, ugly cookies, green dinner pancakes, a giant cabbage casserole we heaped on coarse mustard-slathered bread and a towering spaghetti frittata. And while all of these things have been delicious, what’s been the most fun about them is getting back to a kind of impulsivity that’s gotten pushed to the wayside in this hyper-scheduled so-called adult life. It’s also led to conversations I want more of in 2016, such as “well, if you’re around anyway, why don’t you stay for dinner and I’ll guinea pig a new recipe on you?”
Which is how it happened that I spied a photo on the Instagram account of Elisabeth Pruitt of Tartine Bakery — someone I’ve long admired for both her baking talent and her refreshingly honest talk about being a working parent — last weekend that may not have normally been the kind of thing that got me running to the kitchen (a gluten-free cake, candied citrus rings, plus didn’t I just recently make a citrus-infused ricotta cake?) but why think too hard about it? And, lo, I’m so glad we didn’t.
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It’s always the simplest foods that end up throwing you a curve ball, and grains are the quintessential example. Thanks to their versatility, they make it into most meal plans — that pot of rice you make on the weekend working its way into lunches and dinners throughout the week.
But even if you’ve made quinoa a thousand times, there’s still that one day you burn it, over-salt it, or cook it until it’s a mushy goo. Here are five mistakes to avoid so you never lose out on the perfect pot of grain.
Every time I cook farro, I kick myself for waiting so long to revisit it. Nutty and chewy, it’s a subtle but sophisticated grain, making it perfect to serve as a backdrop to strong flavors without getting lost. That’s exactly what it does in this grain bowl, proudly bearing the weight of crispy seared salmon and saucy sesame spinach.
Think a bowl of mushy oatmeal is the only way to eat your oats? Think again. From jam-filled granola bars and vegan oat pancakes, to sandwich bread and breakfast cookies, there are plenty of delicious ways to enjoy this heart-healthy pantry staple.
Like Ariel, I’m on a mission to bring my lunch to work more often. One key to success? Making salads, soups, and grain bowls more luxurious and appealing with the addition of a poached egg.
Yes, a warm and lovely poached egg can be yours at the office — any time you like! Here’s how I do it.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep cooking closer to jazz rather than classical, and are happy to pay closer attention to the pot, then consider whether a more free-form approach to cooking barley, farro, quinoa, or millet is right for you. It’s not that measuring is wrong, but it’s not the only way to make a tasty pot of grains.
