Sam Talbot is a well known American chef in his thirties, working now in Montauk, Long Island.
He has Type 1 Diabetes and has written a delightful cookbook illustrating the way he lives, eats and cooks with a nicely ironic title–The Sweet Life.
We vied for numero uno position in the pre-publication list in our category on Amazon.
Well, I say vied— I made it once, I think!
He raves about the increasingly popular South American grain, quinoa, saying he eats it at least three times a week.
In a post in March last year I wrote this about Quinoa:
This seed, one of the oldest known grains, is a useful alternative to rice, takes less time to cook and is very easily digestible.
It is grown high up in the Andes–and no one seems to agree on how to pronounce it!
It serves as a plain canvas on which you can paint what you like.
Here you can learn more about the benefits of Quinoa–perhaps more than you want to know!
This is Sam Talbot’s recipe–slightly adapted; it’s delicious.
The amount of liquid required is double the volume of the quinoa–easy to remember!
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot–chopped small
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds–(he leaves the coriander and cumin seeds whole, which you’d think would be tiresome, but it works–giving a nice added crunchiness)
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger–chopped small
4 garlic cloves–pulped with some salt
zest and juice of a lemon
parsley–chopped
2 cups stock–I use organic vegetable stock cubes
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the shallot and the spices (coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic) for about five minutes to soften them.
- Add the quinoa to the pan and turn it over with the spice mix.
- Add the stock, the lemon juice and zest and bring it up to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and turn the heat down low.
- Cook for about twenty minutes.
- Check to see how it’s doing after 15 minutes and give it a stir.
- The grain should absorb all the liquid by the end of cooking.
- Sprinkle the parsley over and fork it carefully into the quinoa.
Robin Ellis 
I love quinoa (pronouce it keen-wah, correct, who knows?)
My favorite recipe is similar, garlic, ginger, scallion, black mustard seeds, a dried hot chili (or two), ground corriander seeds. Then at the end fork in fresh cilantro and more chopped scallions (or chives).
Loved watching Sam on “Top Chef” here in America.
I’m very anxious to try this since I’ve yet to find a quinoa recipe that I really like…and I want to like it!
This recipe looks delicious Robin, I will definitely look for quinoa when I’m shopping next. Just wondered if it might be vaguely similar to couscous or does it taste more like rice?
It reminds me of couscous.
Brenda, it can be really good if you dress it up right–but just plain, I find it dull.
Robin’s usual method is delicious but this new recipe from Sam Talbot is excellent too.
I was fascinated to read that quinoa wasn’t imported into the United States until 1984.
I remember seeing it on the shelf in health food stores but not knowing what to do with it….(we sure didn’t grow up with it in Northfield, Illinois!)
Apparently it is high in protein–useful for vegetarians–and gluten-free–a good alternative for those who don’t eat wheat.
It’s has many vital B vitamins & nutrients: magnesium, calcium, riboflavin, copper, iron, zinc, potassium and fiber.
It seems to be a “super food”. http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-quinoa/.
I have to be honest and say that though I have read about it in your blogs I have not discovered it in the shops here in England, do you need to visit a health food store or am I just looking in the wrong place in the stores? I would like to give it a try has I think it would be good for Jimmy,who is diabetic 1.
Quinoa is very versatile. Here we pronounce it keen-wah. 🙂
Hi, Robin,
This sounds really good…You’ve helped me discover I LOVE coriander! I made your chickpea curry and yummy yogurt sauce last night and discovered all KINDS of ingredients I’ve never used! (Wasn’t sure what to do with that fennel, at first.) Robin, you really ought to make more “how-to” videos–I learned a lot from that pesto one on YouTube! Maybe “Cooking with Robin” could be your next project? 🙂
Question for you & Meredith: Do you have a firm date & time for New York? We looked online for that Cafe Margot place, but it sounds like a little bistro, not a bookstore…? (Perhaps we could all do lunch!?) Hope to see you soon!
PS: Sorry to ask here, but we don’t Tweet or have Facebook.
Cheers & hugs,
Dianne & Gene
I just toss a handful into vegetable soup, as you can with red lentils. It works very well and gives a bit of bulk to make a wholemeal soup.
Good idea, Chris.
That sounds good (as does Donna’s recipe). I have messed around with quinoa a bit, but need something like that to get me going. Spelt also works as a good alternative to rice and has the advantage of being a European (even, I think, native British) grain.
I use quinoa regularly. The texture, to me, is unique. I find it “grainier” than couscous or rice, but that is not a negative for me. I’ll add that in the US, if your box of quinoa doesn’t say “pre-rinsed”, it’s important to place it in a sieve and rinse it well before cooking. The grains have a natural coating on them that imparts a bitter taste if not rinsed away.
For those of you looking for another “approved” side dish to serve at your Passover meals, quinoa is cleared for Passover use as it is technically a grass seed and not a grain. It is also works wonderfully for those who follow a gluten-free diet–it adapts well for most of the couscous, orzo, and rice recipes you may have on file. I sometimes add mushrooms, or chopped vegetables, or cranberries, or chopped dried fruits, and serve it with a dressing as a room temperature “salad”. It transports well. And Robin’s yogurt sauce could also be a delicious accompaniment.
Eager to read about your New York City schedule. Safe travels.
[…] Here it is on a bed of Sam Talbot’s Quinoa–and was our supper. […]