This Queen is no vegan or vegetarian. I am a strictly eat everything, old fashioned balanced diet kind of girl. However, I do understand that times, they are a changing. I will refrain from going on a tirade about some of my thoughts on dietary preferences and personal eating choices vs. dietary requirements vs. allergies. This, most likely, is not the time nor the place and I would not want to alienate any of my loyal ones.

My recipe post today comes from a willingness to experiment and to explore alternative food options and ideas. That being said, it’s not something I would eat as a rule, in it’s styled jar presentation, but would maybe serve as a shared side alongside some nice bbq’ed lamb chops and pitta breads. Of course, I am all for democracy and freedom of thought so use it as you like - it’s your royal choice!

Your Combi-Steam is a great place to cook grains. We’re talking rice, porridge, freekah, barley and quinoa (pronounced keen-wah just to save you from any potential embarrassment around your hipster friends!). Your Combi-Steam is also a great place to cook vegetables. We are going to use two different cooking functions or methods here. This first is Steam, which will always give you a soft moist result without browning, just as you would get if you cook in or over boiling water on the cooktop. The second is Hot Air+Steaming (or Combination Steam) which will give you a combination of browning and moisture - browning on the outside of the food or dish and moist softness on the inside of the food or dish.

If you already have some leftover roasted or grilled veggies from last nights dinner you could skip the veggie preparation part and just toss them through the quinoa with the dressing as a great way to use them up. In fact, a little leftover cooked chicken or other meat would also work nicely in the lunchbox.

So, grab your best bottle of kombucha and maybe add a splash of your favourite small batch locally distilled gin and let’s Combi-Steam like the cool kids.

serves 4

Ingredients:
250g sliced swiss brown mushrooms
1 medium zucchini (diced)
1 small red capsicum (diced)
1 small yellow capsicum (diced)
400g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ea ground cumin & ground coriander
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
2 tsp seeded mustard
1 tsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups quinoa
1 ½ cups vegetable stock

Method:

1. Place the quinoa into a large shallow dish with the stock. Season with some salt and pepper. Add dish to the Combi-Steam. Select Steam. Set the temperature to 100°C/100%. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Toss the chickpeas, zucchini, capsicum and mushrooms with the lemon zest, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread out onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper.

3. Select Hot Air+Steaming (Combination Steam function) on your Combi-Steam. Set the temperature to 220°C (variable steam to 20% if required). Allow to pre-heat.

4. Add the tray to the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes or until veggies are tender and a little browned. Remove and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup and olive oil, whisking until a dressing forms. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Add the veggies, chickpeas and dressing to the quinoa. Toss to combine and coat. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste.

7. Serve in jars or containers to take to work or school or as a shared salad on a nice platter.

You can adjust the quantity of liquid in the quinoa if you find it is too wet or too dry. This result will sometimes depend on the way your Combi-Steam produces and controls the amount of moisture and steam while you cook. In my brand of choice this recipe method works perfectly.

Add some freshly chopped herbs or baby spinach leaves if you like and change up the veggies if you prefer. Some chopped cherry tomatoes on top are a nice fresh touch just before you serve - dress them with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

If you haven’t tried quinoa before this is not a bad way to do it. It’s also a great main course if you have vegans or vegetarians in the family that need a meat free alternative when you are cooking for a crowd. Always good to have something up your sleeve, these days. Eating is a whole lot more complicated than it used to be!

Happy Combi-Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ x