Tuna Fish and Broccoli with Crumbly Quinoa Topping

2 knobs of coconut oil

 My cheap Tesco camera isn't giving me good pictures.  (A bad photographer blames his camera - until he can afford a better one.  Then he runs out of excuses - and money). 

 I'll put them up anyway because they'll help to get the proportions across.  (Proportions like a knob of coconut oil in proportion to a dessertspoon.) 

quinoa flour makes a good roux

 I'll call this recipe Tuna Fish and Broccoli with Crumbly Quinoa Topping.  I liked it, and I think Madeleine did too, because she scoffed the lot. 



I made a thick velouté (white) sauce using quinoa flour.  I’m experimenting a lot with quinoa just now.  I made a proper roux this time, just to see how suitable quinoa flour is for making roux, and it worked fine.  In future, I’ll probably just make Liverpool roux; it’s quicker and as no fat is used, it’s probably healthier.

Ingredients for filling:

Add stock slowly

A knob or two of coconut oil
1 heaped dessertspoon of quinoa flour
Hot water or stock
1 stock cube or 1 teaspoon of bouillon mix
100 grams of raw broccoli florets
1 tin of tuna chunks in brine or spring water

Method for filling:

To make the roux, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan.  Keep the heat as low as the hob goes.  Add the quinoa flour, and blend it to a thick paste (a white roux).  When the roux is cooked, slowly add the hot water or stock, keeping the heat as low as possible.  (You can use a bain-marie or double steamer if you have such things). 

Keep the hob as low as possible

To begin with, the roux will thicken, but just keep adding the stock and allowing the sauce to come back up to the boil - but at the lowest possible heat - until you have a thick creamy velouté (white) sauce.  If you’re using water, add flavouring like stock cube or bouillon mix.  Otherwise, use a suitable fish or vegetable stock.  Mix in the broccoli florets.

Broccoli in a thick veloute with a layer of tuna beneath

Press the tuna fish down to the bottom of an ovenproof dish.  Spread the broccoli and velouté over the tuna fish. 

Ingredients for crumbly quinoa topping:

½ cup of dried quinoa
1 knob of coconut oil
1½ cups of water

Method for topping:

I use 1½ cups of water to every ½ cup of quinoa.  It takes about 10-15 minutes to cook and absorb all the water.  After it's cooked, add the coconut oil and stir it around to coat the quinoa with the oil.  You can stir in a little spices or flavouring too.  Pour this over the rest of the dish.

Cooked quinoa coated in coconut oil

So, you have a layer of tuna on the bottom, a layer of raw broccoli florets in velouté and a layer of cooked quinoa coated in coconut oil. 

If you prefer to cook your vegetables, give it 10 minutes in the microwave.  Then just lightly brown the quinoa on top, under the grill or in the oven.  Don’t roast it to death, or so hard that it breaks you teeth. 

Brown lightly under grill

That's it - I'll put the photos up tomorrow if it's raining.

It was raining.


Fish Kedgeree Made With Quinoa and Sprouted Mung Beans
Quinoa - Health Benefits and Cooking Tips