Market restaurant in Ipanema and my first encounter with Quinoa – a must try with a recipe idea

No I’m not eating all the time and I’m not off to eat in restaurants all the time either, but I am keen to find new and nice places that serve something a bit different from the brazilian daily staple of rice, black beans and meat.

The other day while strolling through Ipanema, I found a great place, hidden in a backyard away from the noise and buzz of the main shopping streat Rua Visconde de Pirajá. The restaurant is called Market Ipanema and serves a large variety of healthy fresh food, served with freshly baked buns ranging from lemon risotto with baked fish to salmon tartar or organic chicken on a bed of quinoa salad.

I think I had never tried quinoa before, a grain similar to be used as couscous or buckwheat in a salad or rice in a risotto, originating from the Andean region. Traditionally it has been widely incorporated in Peruvian and Colombian cooking. Today it is becoming increasingly popular  around the world due to its health benefits such as a high protein content, good source of dietary fiber and high iron and magnesium. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest and can be found in health stores around the world.

Quinoa Feta salad for 4

• 1.5 cups of Quinoa
• 3 cups of vegetable stock or water
• 200g Feta cheese crumbled
• 3-4 spring onions sliced
• handful of black olives pitted and halved
• 100g of baby tomatoes halved
• 1 small cucumber diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• bunch of fresh coriander and/or parsley
• olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons
• salt and pepper

Rinse the quinoa and bring to the boil in stock or water, cover and simmer for around 15 minutes until water absorbed. Ratio quinoa to liquid is always 1 to 2.

Place the quinoa into a large serving bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients. Dress with juice of lemon and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve it as part of a barbecue, accompanied with a steak or grilled fish or as a vegetarian light lunch. It is becoming a regular in my family and adds variety to the usual rice, potato, pasta family of staples.