My mom gave us some fresh beets from the summer cottage, and this is one of the dishes we used them in. I love quinoa, and my favorite way to cook it is like this: in a pilaf with just a few spices and a vegetable or two. The beluga lentils are delicious, and I especially like how they have a resemblance to quinoa when it comes to size and shape, but the texture is quite different.
We served this dish with a simple side of cubed daikon radish, dressed with some lemon juice, linseed oil, and a pinch of salt and sugar.
The Beet Quinoa:
- 2 and 1/2 dl quinoa, well rinsed
- 2 small beets, finely grated (about 2 dl)
- 1 onion, cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 dl kalamata olives, sliced
- 1/2 dl red wine
- 4 dl water
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- canola oil for frying
I first fried the onions in the oil until translucent, then added the garlic and the herbs, and fried a bit more. Now, I added the quinoa and the beets, and fried for a minute or so, just to coat them with the oil. Then I added the water, the red wine, and the olives, covered the pan, and let the quinoa absorb all the liquid, which took about 18 minutes. I checked it more often toward the end of the cooking time, and added just a little bit of water when it started to dry out but wasn’t quite done yet.
When the quinoa was cooked, I stirred in the Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper, and the dish was ready to be served.
The Beluga Lentils:
- 2 and 1/2 dl Beluga lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
I cooked the lentils with the bay leaf until they were soft, which took about 15 minutes. Then I drained the lentils, removed the bay leaf, and added the rest of the ingredients. Then I let the flavors develop in room temperature until the quinoa was all cooked.


7 Comments
awesomeness! every time I read about beluga beans, I imagine them disguised as whales and it amuses me.
(NB: I never claimed to not be too easily amused, though.)
Tää ohje menestyisi varmasti elokuun haastekisassa, jota käydään Puolen kilon keittiössä! Osallistukaa ihmeessä :)
http://puolikiloavoita.blogspot.com/2008/
08/elokuun-ruokahaasteen-posassa-on.html
It looks so pretty and extravagant :-)
SO pretty, and healthy, and SO getting added to the list of things I hope I remember to make! I think the daikon radish is totally inspired, too.
gorgeous quinoa!
Mitä mahtaa tämä “daikon radish” olla suomeksi, ja mistähän sitä pk-seudulta sopii mennä kyselemään? Silmää hivelevä annos, joka on pakko toteuttaa myös meidän keittiössä. Kiitos!
Moi Mari, Daikon-retiisi se vaan taitaa olla! Me kasvatettiin itse mökillä noita, joten vaikea sanoa saako kaupoista ostettua - ehkä torilta tai kauppahallista. Mutta maku on kyllä aika lähellä tavallista retiisiä, Daikon on vaan väriltään valkoinen, ja muistuttaa enemmän tukevaa porkkanaa kuin retiisiä.
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