Portabello Steaks and Minted Almond Quinoa

As vegetarians, most of our meals are essentially a single dish, possibly with salad on the side, a piece of bread, what have you. Alright, so this isn't really that different, but part of the fun of having a big portabello cap is that it reminds us of the meat-centric meals of our youth; that and, of course, the deliciousness. I think we'd gotten a bit off track with portabellos that last few times that we made them by over marinating them. This is great for grilling, but tends to sog them out when searing them in a pan. This time I only added about a teaspoon of good soy sauce to each while they were cooking (gill side up). They came our rich and meaty; moist without juices running everywhere.

The quinoa dish is essentially a variation on tabbouleh. Julie is excited by quinoa's super food reputation and keen to try new recipes. We made some minor variations to this one from Vegetarian times. I was worried that, on its own, the quinoa might mush out, but the pan roasting seems to have prevented that. In any case, it's a really pleasing and nutty salad.

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

pinch salt

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

1/3 cup diced baked tofu (optional)

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons mint, finely chopped

3 tablespoons ev olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rinse the quinoa and drain thoroughly through a fine mesh strainer (if using boxed quinoa you can probably skip this step). Add to a small sauce pan over medium heat until it dries and then becomes golden and fragrant. Add the water and salt. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Fluff the quinoa, transfer to a medium large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the almonds, tofu (if using), parsley and mint and toss throughly. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and pour it over the top of the quinoa mixture, tossing to distribute thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve at room temperature.