Mimsy Were the Borogoves

Food: Recipes, cookbook reviews, food notes, and restaurant reviews with a heavy emphasis on San Diego. Unless otherwise noted, I have personally tried each recipe that gets its own page, but not necessarily recipes listed as part of a cookbook review.

Hot tuna quinoa

Jerry Stratton, December 30, 1996

A bit of jalapeño, olives, wine, and fresh lime flavors and tuna and highlights the quinoa.

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup sweet white wine
  • 8 black olives, sliced in half
  • 2 pieces of fresh tuna
  • 1 lime

Steps

  1. Bring 1 cup water and the quinoa to a boil.
  2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Preheat cast-iron pan.
  4. Put olive oil and diced onion into pan. Sauté a minute or so.
  5. Add chopped garlic and jalapeño. Sauté a minute or so.
  6. Add 1/4 cup wine. Stir about a bit.
  7. Add bell pepper. Stir-fry about five to ten minutes.
  8. Add olives and remaining wine to stir-fry.
  9. Pour into finished quinoa and simmer another 10 minutes.
  10. Possibly add the remaining 1/4 cup water.
  11. Meanwhile, broil the fish, five minutes to a side.
  12. Serve with half a lime squeezed onto each tuna steak, and the stir-fry on the side.

Quinoa has an interesting flavor and texture, and is easy to make, but it does not keep as well as “other grains”. If you buy extra, you may want to keep it in your refrigerator or freezer. It appears to also be highly nutritious, and is definitely useful as a change of pace.

You’ll need a good, heavy pan for the fish, such as a cast-iron skillet, to get it good and crispy on the outside while still fresh and flakey on the inside.

  1. <- Sourdough Rye
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