MVC's Garlicky Quinoa & Samphire

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During a recent groceries shopping trip I picked up some samphire. Did I know what I was going to do with it? Erm, no! Did I even know what it was? Erm, no! Did I look confident as I picked up the box of the little green strings and safely deposited it in my trolley? Hell, yes! lol. Well I knew it was green and most likely very good for me so where could I go wrong?

Apparently samphire is a marsh plant and looks like a green stick...spikey green stick. Yep my descriptive abilities are on fire today..eh? lol.

See...green sticky things!!! lol

I had no idea what to do with it. So to help ML out I went online and did a search. Apparently it's very popular as an accompaniment to fish..and I found a few variants on a Potato & Samphire Salad recipe. Naturally the first didn't sit right with me...and I just wasn't in the Potato Salad place. Then I happened upon Messy Vegetarians Cook recipe for Garlicky Quinoa and Samphire. Now quinoa I am always in the mood for...

ML's version of Garlicky Quinoa and Samphire

Now for the original recipe please visit MVC's great site by clicking either of the links above. ML had to make a couple of simple adaptions for ours...and so below is the recipe as ML made it. So what did I think of the dish once it was brought to me...firstly the lemon is the main flavour that zinged my tastebuds. The quinoa was perfectly cooked...the other ingredients all blended into a clean taste.

Now to the samphire...when I make this again I shall halve the amount suggested on the recipe. Not because I didn't enjoy it...I did. I just think I would swap some of the samphire out for another ingredient..maybe some fresh garden peas or edamame beans. I enjoyed the samphire but next time would be very selective as to which stems went in...every few mouthfuls there was a hard stalk that I suspect would never cook. I kind of ended up with a bleeding gum at one point. But that was my only negative response to eating this new green plant. I would definitely have it again and look forward to experimenting with it. ML has a frittata recipe formulating..lol.

MVC's Garlicky Quinoa & Samphire (adapted)
(Recipe from messyvegetariancook.com)

85g (1 cup) quinoa
110g marsh samphire
1 tsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, diced
juice of one reg lemon
1 large garlic clove
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
handful of freshly chopped parsley
salt - optional

Rinse and cook quinoa as per the packet instructions (a general rule is twice the quantity of water to quinoa, over med heat for 15 minutes).

While the quinoa is cooking prepare the other ingredients and set a pot of water to boil for the samphire.

Pound the garlic and lemon together in a pestle and mortar before adding dill, sugar and liquid smoke.

Saute the shallots in the oil for 5 minutes over a medium heat, stirring often, until translucent. Turn the heat to low, adding the lemon paste and any salt you wish. Cook for a further minute or two, just to tone down the intensity of the raw garlic.

Meanwhile, add the samphire to the pot of water to blanch for two minutes. Drain and add, along with the quinoa and parsley, to the onion mix. Stir until the samphire and quinoa are coated and then serve warm.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is being very good to you....

~Red~