Moroccan Spiced Quinoa with Lentils and Raisins and Preserved Lemons

Not sure why I seem to have a thing about Moroccan inspired food the past few days, but I do.  I'll just accept it, try to satisfy it, and then move on to the next obsession.  Today is quinoa and preserved lemons for some reason.

One of my goals when I started this blog back in September (in an attempt to clear out my pantry and freezers) was to make recipes using all the interesting things I had bought over time but never made.  Things like quinoa, bulgar, barley, pearled couscous (yuck)...the list goes on.  So to get myself started back down the road of cooking and experimenting, I decided to work on a side-dish involving qunioa.

The below is my take on a prepared frozen entree made by the President's Choice.  In Canada, they definitely set the bar as far as I am concerned for creative grocery products, and excel in prepared frozen foods.  Just heat and serve basically.  And again, I apologize for my lack of skills in photography.  I've asked Santa to send me a food stylist for Xmas.  We'll see if I've been naughty or nice I guess this time next week.

Moroccan Spiced Quinoa with Lentils and Golden Raisins

1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup lentils, cooked.

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

For quinoa:

Soak the quinoa for 15 min in a pot. Soaking helps quinoa to cook evenly, and loosens up the outer coating of saponin, which can give a bitter taste if not removed. Once soaked, rinse under cold running water using a fine mesh strainer. Drain well and return to pot. Add chicken or vegetable stock to pot, along with ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Half way through cooking scatter raisins, red pepper, and lentils over quinoa and continue to cook. Remove quinoa mix from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on then fluff quinoa gently with a fork. Let cool slightly, then transfer to large bowl. Add lemon peel. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice in small bowl. Add to quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir 1/2 cup chopped cilantro into quinoa before serving.

Paula Wolfert's 7 Day Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are an integral part of Moroccan cuisine.  Preserved lemons are basically lemons that have been pickled in salt and their own juices.  The peel, pulp, and juice squeezed from the lemons can all be used in dishes such as tagines, soups and stews.  I even had them recently in a salad dressing at an upscale (and definitely not Moroccan) restaurant in Toronto called Bymark, and I 've seen them used in cocktail recipes also. Such versatility has me curious, so I figured why not try it out.

I've never made preserved lemons before but - again - it is one of those things that I've been meaning to make for years. So I am using a recipe from Epicurious created by Paula Wolfert.  No alterations - shocking, I know.

If you are going to make preserved lemons, you need to plan ahead as they require time to "mature" on your counter top for a period of time, and I've seen times that span from 5 to 7 days to a few months.  

Meyer lemons are apparently the best to use as they have thin skins and are extremely juicy.  Sadly my local grocer did not have Meyer lemons nor even organic ones, so I am using regular run of the mill lemons this time.  We shall see!

Thanks to Kevin at Closet Cooking for sharing his experience as a first time preserver of lemons.  The tip he gleaned from his research into the recipe was that you could tell the lemons were ready when the pith was no longer white.  I'll have to keep an eye for that.

Ingredients:

6 lemons
2/3 cup kosher salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from 5 to 6 additional lemons)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Dry lemons well and cut each into 8 wedges, cutting off any protruding stems or bumps. In a bowl toss wedges with salt and transfer to a glass jar (about 6-cup capacity).  Ideally, you want the lemons to be packed very tightly. Compress the lemons as you add them to the jar to release their juices.  Add lemon juice and cover jar with a tight-fitting glass lid or plastic-coated lid. Let lemons stand at room temperature 7 days, shaking jar each day to redistribute salt and juice. Add oil to cover lemons and store, covered and chilled, up to 6 months.