Even though I’ve worked in Europe for many years, I have never been able to adapt to the local habit of a three-course lunch as the principal meal of the day. I don’t understand how my European colleagues stay awake and work after a huge meal. Salads, using seasonal ingredients, are my preferred midday meal. This Quinoa Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Almonds makes a perfect fall lunch.
Although I love cereals of all kinds, I have not cooked much with quinoa. My early encounters with quinoa dishes in restaurants were disappointing, the grains were either gritty or mushy with a bitter aftertaste. I couldn’t understand what the fuss was about, why quinoa was considered a “superfood” until I discovered better-tasting quinoa preparations several years ago in Peru.
Like potatoes, quinoa is native to the Andean highlands. Peruvian culinary historians assert that quinoa originated over 5,000 years ago near earthquake-created Lake Titicaca which straddles the Peru-Bolivia border at an elevation of 12,500 ft (3,810 m), and is the highest navigable body of water in the world and the largest lake by volume in South America. Four pre-Colombian indigenous civilizations – the Pukara, Tiwanaku, Collas and Incas inhabited Lake Titicaca’s shores. The Incas claimed Lake Titicaca was the birthplace of the sun and its people and called it the “cradle of the world.” Today, the lake and its surroundings are claimed to be the “birthplace of the Incas.”
Lake Titicaca from Taquile Island, Bolivia on the horizon
Over centuries, these ancient indigenous civilizations became expert in high-altitude agriculture, producing an astonishing array of potatoes, and domesticating a species of goosefoot weed (Chenopodium quinoa) in the Amaranth family by selecting genotypes according to use and tolerance to salinity, cold, drought, excessive humidity, high altitude cultivation (6,600 ft-13,000 ft; 2,000 m – 4,000 m) and poor soil, while promoting early growth and high yield.
Quinoa was a staple for the Incas and their descendants the Quechua and Aymara for centuries. According to ancient folk legend, the Aymara could speak to the stars: One day a star descended to earth and enchanted an Aymara boy. They became friends, but as the daughter of heaven, she sadly had to leave. The Aymara boy grieved her departure and went to find her, flying through the sky on the wings of the Andean condor. He found her and they were together for a long time when she fed him a tasty and nutritious, golden grain, the grain of the gods, quinoa. One day the boy wanted return to Earth to visit his parents whom he missed. As he left, the star gave him the wonderful grain, so that his people could cultivate it on earth. Thus, quinoa became the food of the Andean people.
Quinoa was a sacred crop to the Incas who called it the mother of all grains (chisaya mama); the Incan emperor showed respect to this nourishing plant by using a golden implement to ceremoniously plant the first quinoa seeds each year.
By the time of the 1532 Spanish conquest, quinoa was well developed technologically and widely distributed within and beyond Inca territory. Quinoa faded from wide-spread cultivation and local diet, however, when explorer Francisco Pizzaro and other conquistadors scorned quinoa as “food for Indians“(la comida de los indios), and destroyed quinoa fields in their determination to eradicate Incan culture they deemed incompatible with Catholicism. Quinoa cultivation was replaced by Old World cereals such as barley, wheat, oats, beans and peas, but small high elevation fields of quinoa survived, and were secretly preserved and cultivated in indigenous communities.
Quinoa was reintroduced to the modern culinary world in the 1970s and is now grown in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, the three top producing countries, with smaller production in India, Kenya, part of Europe and the United States. The United Nations named quinoa a “super crop” in 2013 which could alleviate world hunger. The Bolivian President Evo Morales called quinoa an “ancestral gift from the Andean people.”
With a nutritional profile similar to cereal grains, quinoa is treated culinarily as a pseudo-cereal. It is, in fact, a seed, botanically similar to the seeds of beet, chard and spinach. Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids that are not produced by the body and must come from food. It is a reliable source of iron, copper, thiamin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and folate and is low in carbohydrates.
There are approximately 1800 known varieties of quinoa but only three are found in markets in America. Red quinoa is often used in salads since it tends to hold its shape better after cooking. Black quinoa has an “earthier and sweeter” taste. White quinoa is versatile, often used in place of grain cereals.
Quinoa sold at Cusco, Peru market
Impact on indigenous communities: As the popularity of quinoa spread throughout the culinary world and the cost of these nutritious seeds increased, questions were raised about whether quinoa’s world market prices were hurting those who traditionally produced and consumed it. Studies by economists from the US, Canada, Peru and Bolivia concluded that this claim is unsubstantiated. Increased prices as a result of international demand have a marginal impact, given that quinoa is no longer a staple or traditional food as it was during the Incan era. Quinoa now plays a small role (about four percent) in the national diet of both countries.
Preparing quinoa for cooking: The bitterness that I recall from my first encounters with quinoa comes from its protective coating of saponin which is used by indigenous people as an antiseptic in healing wounds but needs to be rinsed away before cooking. Peruvian cooks easily remove this coating by washing the grains in a large bowl of cold water, kneading and rubbing the grains between palms, for several minutes. Even quinoa labeled as prewashed should be washed to assure that saponin is removed.
Quinoa adopts flavors readily. Cooking quinoa in water works fine, but its flavor can be enhanced with stocks, wine, beer, juices and aromatics such as cloves, garlic, onion or herbs and even chilis. It can be toasted in butter or oil before cooking. It can be sweetened for breakfast or added to muffins or granola.
This Quinoa Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Almonds is a symphony of complex flavors and textures. It is sweet, tart and savory. The natural sweetness of butternut squash is enhanced by rich, balsamic-like pomegranate dressing and roasting which caramelizes the squash’s natural sugars on crusty edges. Roasted onions add a subtle savory note. Cooked al dente, quinoa, retains its shape and nuttiness without bitterness. Jewel-like, juicy pomegranate seeds add a note of fruity tartness and crunch, while toasted almonds add a light buttery flavor. Fresh mint and cilantro, both aromatic herbs, complete this salad with a bright, citrusy and mild minty taste.
I serve this Quinoa Salad warm as a side to turkey or chicken and at room temperature for lunch.
Quinoa Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate and Almonds
For roasted butternut squash:
3½ cups (565 g) butternut squash cut in small cubes
1 small red onion, cut into small wedges
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper, each
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses*
For salad:
½ cup (106 g) quinoa
3½ ounces (100 g) fresh mint leaves
3½ ounces (100 g) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For dressing:
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon coarse-grained prepared mustard
1 tablespoon honey
⅔ cup (158 ml) olive oil
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
For garnish:
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons dry-toasted almond slices
Fresh mint and cilantro sprigs
Preparing squash: Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Peel and cut squash into cubes. Place in a large bowl and combine with remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through and squash is browned at the edges. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash cubes.) Once cooked, remove and set aside to cool.
Preparing quinoa: Place quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer and wash several times in cold water. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Pour olive oil in a medium saucepan and toast quinoa over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until quinoa is fragrant and makes a continuous popping sound, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in ¾ cup (177 ml) water. Increase heat to medium-high, stir in water and quinoa and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until grains are just tender and liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Once cooled, finely chop mint and coriander and add to quinoa.
Preparing dressing: Place all ingredients in a jar and shake until combined. **
Assembling salad: Place quinoa in a large bowl. Fluff with fork. Add squash and toss gently. Stir in dressing a few tablespoons at a time until the desired taste is achieved. Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, toasted almond slices,*** mint and cilantro leaves. Serve with extra pomegranate dressing.
Serves 4 as a side dish; 2 as lunch.
* Pomegranate molasses is sold in Whole Foods and other grocery stores and is available online from Amazon.
** Pomegranate dressing keeps refrigerated for weeks. It can be used in other salads and as a glaze for chicken and other meats.
*** To toast almond slices. Add to an ungreased frying pan and cook over medium heat until golden, watching carefully.
One year ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/2506-2/
Two years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/turkey-ham-pork-sausage-pie-2/
Three years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/chocolate-pecan-mille-crepes-torte/
Four years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/solies-norwegian-christmas-cookies/
Five years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/turban-squash-not-just-for-show/ and http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/pumpkin-trio-2/