QUINUA 'RISOTTO' BLENDS TRADITIONS OF PERÚ. MARLENA SPIELER (ESTADOS UNIDOS)

Green Onion & Sharp Cheese Quinotto , Marlena Spieler

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish or starter.

I like to serve this with an Amazon jungle-inspired salad: watercress, mizuna, hearts of palm, grape or cherry tomatoes, and strips of a jerky-like dried meat or diced crisp bacon.

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups hot diluted broth (a combination of boiling water and low-sodium broth such as vegetable or chicken)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• About 3 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese + extra to gratinee
• About 1 ounce shredded Parmesan or similar cheese
• 2 heaping tablespoons cottage cheese, ricotta or low-fat/fat-free sour cream
• Kosher salt, black and red pepper, to taste
  
• A grating of fresh nutmeg

Instructions: In a heavy nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat, lightly toast the quinoa until it turns slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of broth, stirring as you go. When it has absorbed, add more liquid, a little at a time, in the same style as risotto, with less stirring. Add more liquid when the grains look as if they have absorbed all the liquid in the pan. Cook this way for about 10 minutes.

When the grains are just tender, another 5 minutes or so, add a little more liquid, and stir in the green onions. Cover and remove from the heat. Allow the quinotto to rest for 5-10 minutes, then add the cheddar, Parmesan, cottage cheese, salt, black and red pepper, and nutmeg.

Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese, then fluff up the grains with a fork to gently combine. If the cheese hasn't melted, return the quinotto to a medium-low heat until it has. At this point you can serve it as is, or spread into a gratin dish or other flat pan, sprinkle with extra shredded cheese, and broil until gratineed.

Per main course serving: 543 calories, 35 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat saturated), 33 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.

Wine pairing: Cheese - slightly gooey and definitely palate-coating in this dish- calls for a wine with some acidity to cut throughit. Add bubbles and the pairing will be even better. Spanish Cava or a brut sparkling wine might get you through a bowlful.