On Fried Quinoa......

    Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia, where it has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. It's very popular amongst vegetarians due to its nutrient composition which is made up of essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus and iron. The quinoa seeds in general are cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. I have seen it utilized in salads, cooked pilaf style, and even by adding the seeds to stews. At one restaurant I used to work for, we cooked the quinoa risotto style and mixed in an Aji amarillo cream; it was served with a Peruvian inspired boneless chicken with pickled onions and charred corn. At the time it was one of my favorite dishes on the menu.
    I made short ribs the other day at the restaurant and I was looking for a crunchy textural element to add to the dish. I decided to go along with quinoa for the simple reason that we have an over abundance of it at the restaurant and it was the best thing I came up with at the time. I served the short ribs with roasted garlic and butternut squash puree, buttered brussel sprouts and crispy red quinoa. For this application I took the red quinoa and rinsed it over water. I cooked it for about 10 minutes until the quinoa became tender, I then strained it and placed it over some kitchen towels to finish drying off. After 5 minutes I took the quinoa and fried it by placing it in a fine mesh china cap; this prevents the seeds from going all over the place. Once fried I seasoned the hot quinoa with salt and placed it over towels to remove excess oil. I used salt in this application but you can apply any spice mix or even sugar if your using it for desserts. The fried quinoa has a nutty almost popcorn flavor to it, its a great way to add a different textural element to any dish. It works great in salads with a creamy type of dressing. Here are some pictures of the special.