Onion squash, pea and quinoa risotto
February 9, 2010
Onion squash is definitely my new favourite vegetable. I used it for the first time last week, when I braised it with a pork chop.
This time, I’ve cooked it with more or less the same combination of ingredients – squash, some onion and garlic, peas, sage – except I’ve made it into a quinoa risotto instead of having it as a side to meat.
(Can you call a dish a risotto if it doesn’t have rice in it? I doubt it, but you get the general idea…)
The method was pretty much the same as that for a risotto. Fry some onion and garlic, add the quinoa and some stock, then throw in the vegetables and herbs at the end to cook through. And, although I didn’t have any in my fridge tonight, I reckon a good spoonful or two of Parmesan would taste great with this.
Tune in again next week for part 3 of 101 Uses For An Onion Squash!
And the cupboard was bare… 
February 10, 2010 at 6:00 am
I’m not really sure what quinoa is or how to cook it! Is it a bit like Quorn?
February 10, 2010 at 7:42 am
It’s actually a grain, originally from South America. I suppose in texture and flavour, it’s closest to couscous. And you just boil it, as you would rice. It has a really nice nutty taste to it. Not sure how easy it would be to track some down in Japan, though.
February 10, 2010 at 8:56 am
It’s delicious – I’ll make you a meal that features it when you’re over here Gabs! I think it’s nicer than couscous – its texture kind of ‘pops’, and yes, it does have a lovely nutty flavour.
February 10, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Hi Lindsey! I made my first babystep to having a bare cupboard. Last night I went to the store and while there I picked up a nice steak to pan fry. I also bought some noodles to make beef noodles to go with the steak. On the way home I remembered the half head of cabbage I had in my fridge that needed to be used. I loved the feeling of knowing I wasn’t going to end up throwing this out because I didn’t do anything with it. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
February 10, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Beef noodles and cabbage – sounds like a great combination to me. It’s not always easy to use up random items in your fridge, I know. But once you start having the courage to be a bit experimental with your cooking, it certainly becomes simpler.
February 11, 2010 at 7:08 am
This sounds like my sort of food. I love a good squash and quinoa is one of our staples as it’s so much higher than other grains (although not strictly a grain I believe).
February 11, 2010 at 10:03 am
You’re absolutely right, Choclette. According to wikipedia, quinoa is a ‘pseudocereal’ – what a great word! – because it’s a seed from a plant, which is actually closely related to the beetroot. The mind boggles, eh…