Freekeh with Grape Leaves and Feta

Browsing the very excellent food site Food 52 the other day, I found an intriguing recipe for something the recipe writer called a grape leaf pilaf. It wasn't actually a pilaf, as she directs the rice should be cooked "as instructed on package," which means boiled or steamed. I thought I might like to make it as an actual pilaf, browning the rice with onions then simmering it in a seasoned broth. We already had a jar of grape leaves in the cupboard, which I had purchased for an abandoned project. All we needed was the feta and herbs, and some sort of protein to go with it. Lamb seemed to make sense, and we had that, too.

Once I had everything together, I realized that rice would make a better accompaniment for the chicken dish I planned to make the following day. I found a bag of freekeh, a roasted green wheat product, in the cupboard (lord, there's so many weird things in there) and thought I could give that a spin. I had never worked with the stuff before, hadn't even tasted it, so rather than make pilaf, I cooked it in the rice cooker. The package indicated that it should be cooked like rice, with twice as much water as grain. I still wasn't going to have a pilaf, so I'm not calling it that.

The freekeh smelled wonderful as it was cooking, and tasted rich and nutty. The texture is a little crunchy, like brown rice or bulgur. It really was the perfect grain to use with tangy grape leaves and feta cheese and made the dish into something far more interesting than boring old steamed rice could have done.

For the meaty aspect of the dish, I made meatballs out of a mixture similar to this one, only without the nuts or spices other than salt, pepper, and garlic. I also roasted some grape tomatoes to add a bit of sweetness to the otherwise tangy meal. It was riiiillly good. Hearty, yet light, full of flavors and textures. Definitely a keeper. The freekeh would go well with chicken or shrimp, too.

Freekeh with Grape Leaves and Feta

1 cup freekeh
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
1 cup chopped grape leaves from a jar
1/4 cup chopped dill leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper
Crumbled feta cheese

Cook freekeh as you would rice (or according to package directions).

While freekeh is cooking, saute onion in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add chopped grape leaves, herbs (reserving some for garnish), and lemon juice. When freekeh is done cooking, add it to the pan of onions and grape leaves. Stir well to combine. Taste for seasoning and add freshly ground pepper and a bit of salt, if needed. (The grape leaves are quite salty, so you might not need to add any additional.)

Before serving, drizzle freekeh with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle on the feta and reserved herbs. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Curried Quinoa with Blueberries

I'm so glad I never follow a recipe to the letter; so often it's not to my taste. For example, the curried quinoa with blueberries I found in the July-Aug issue of Vegetarian Times. I didn't need to make 2 cups of quinoa...that's far too much for two people, and I didn't want to be taking it for lunch for the whole rest of the week. So I reduced the amounts by half. This meant one cup of quinoa and 4.5 teaspoons of curry powder. Yes, the original recipe called for 3 tablespoons of curry powder. Three tablespoons = 9 teaspoons, half of which is 4.5 teaspoons. Still a ton. I stopped at 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon), and it was still too much. Maybe the recipe expected readers to use some cheap-ass curry powder that had little flavor, but I used some nice sweet curry powder from Penzey's (the same curry I used in my White Chocolate Saffron Cupcakes). In any case, I now had 1 cup of cooked quinoa flavored with 1 whole tablespoon of curry powder. It was a tad on the bitter side, so I added about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and a few squeezes of lemon juice for balance. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on the brand of curry powder you use. I say err on the side of too little; you can always add more later.

I also served the salad cold. I like my sugar snaps raw and crunchy. Otherwise, the salad was quite nice. Good texture, and lots of fruits and veggies.

Curried Quinoa with Blueberries (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil, divided
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
Large pinch salt (especially if your curry is salt-free)
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 ½ cups fresh snap peas, sliced lengthwise into thirds
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Few springs fresh mint, chopped
Handful of chopped unsalted cashews or roasted peanuts

Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add quinoa and curry powder and saute until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer 12 minutes or until quinoa is cooked through and water is absorbed.

Remove quinoa to a large bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the pan and add the remaining teaspoon of coconut oil. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add blueberries and snap peas and cooked until warmed through, about 30 seconds - 1 minute.

Add the blueberries and peas to the quinoa in the bowl. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste. Serve dolloped with yogurt and sprinkled with mint and nuts.

Posted on Minxeats.com.