Brighten up winter meals with splashes of color.

You can do that with sides like beets, red cabbage slaw and winter squash. But you can also employ colorful garnishes and condiments.

Green garnishes like parsley and mint have been used for…centuries? millennia?

Here are brighter recommendations in orange, red and yellow:

 
 
We know there are other options out there, so feel free to add to this list!

[2] A line of sauce droplets on the left and piment d’espelette on the right.<
[2] A plain brown sausage enlivened with a mustard zigzag, chile sauce and shishito peppers (photo courtesy Pain d’Avignon).

[2] Red quinoa fried rice topped with an egg, at P.F. Chang’s.

[3] Quinoa tabbouheh, at Andina Restaurant | Portland (photo by Eric Cable).

[4] Harvesting red quinoa: back-breaking work (photo courtesy Tru Roots).

[5] Three styles of quinoa pasta from Pereg Gourmet.

[6] Quinoa spaghetti with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Here’s the recipe (photo © Bon Appetít).

[7] Strawberry-lime quinoa parfait. Here’s the recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).

For more than five years, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has been an “it” food in the U.S. It has been embraced by those seeking more healthful alternatives. It’s a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids (more about that below).

Quinoa is thought of as a grain, but it is neither grain nor cereal but a pseudocereal. Rather, it is a type of seed. It’s gluten free and is often used in place of rice or couscous.

Cereals (barley, corn, rice, wheat, etc.) are grasses. A pseudocereal is not a grass, but is used in much the same way. The seeds can be ground into flour or otherwise used as cereals. Other examples of pseudocereals are amaranth and buckwheat.

High in protein, nutrients and vitamins, pseudocereals are typically gluten free and analogous to whole grains, even though they aren’t related. They are members of the spinach, chard and beet family.

National Quinoa Day is January 16th, and National Whole Grains Day is November 16th. February 27th is National Protein Day, and quinoa is the best of proteins: a complete protein.

Below:

> The history of quinoa.

> The 10 complete proteins.

> How about some quinoa pasta (below)?

> Quinoa recipes.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 35+ grain holidays.

> More ancient grains.
 
 
QUINOA HISTORY: NATIVE TO THE ANDES

Quinoa is native to the Andes mountain region of South America. It is harvested from a species of a plant called goosefoot (here’s more about goosefoot), and is grown commercially for its nutritious seeds.

Quinoa has been farmed for thousands of years and was an important food in the Andes. The ancient Incas called quinoa the “mother grain” and saw it as a sacred seed.

Traditions paid tribute to its nutrition and other benefits. The first quinoa seed of each year was planted with a golden shovel by the Inca leader [source].

In Chile, Bolivia and Peru, quinoa is a very popular food and used in a wide variety of recipes including soup, bread, and, even, drinks. They can be combined with grains in any number of ways.
 
 
Modern Quinoa

Chefs have welcomed the gluten-free grain, turning it into vegetarian burgers, puddings, salads and recipes foods from simple to elegant (see the tabbouleh in photo #3).

They’ve added quinoa to chocolate bars, truffles, and turned it into snack puffs, snack clusters and other foods.

And, they have turned quinoa flour into pasta (more below).

Other parts of the plant are also used. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable.

(Ironically, world demand for quinoa has raised the price so much that the native farmers can’t afford to eat the seeds they grow, and are left with the perishable parts of the plant.)

In many areas around the growing regions, the fruit of the quinoa plant is used as a topical medicine for cuts, sores, and bruises.

Look for it near the rice section in grocery stores, or head to a natural foods store. You can find it in:

 
You’ll find bags of the seeds themselves, microwave quinoa, and quinoa turned into pasta and other foods.
 
 
THE 10 COMPLETE PROTEINS

Because it is a complete protein and can be grown worldwide, the U.N. declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa. Why is a complete protein so important?

The term “complete protein” refers to essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 different amino acids that can form a protein.

Of these, there are nine* that the body can’t produce on its own. These are called essential amino acids: We need to eat them because our bodies can’t make them.

In order to be considered complete, a food must contain all nine of these essential amino acids, in roughly equal amounts.

According to Greatlist, in addition to quinoa, complete proteins include:

 
On the “close but not quite” list are chia and hempseed.

Eggs, meat, milk and other foods deemed to be high in protein don’t come close to complete protein status.
 
 
QUINOA PASTA

If your year’s resolutions include cutting back on empty carbs like pasta, or eating more gluten-free foods, try quinoa pasta. It’s also egg-free.†

The pasta has the same earthy quality as cooked quinoa seeds.

Two brands we’ve enjoyed:

 
 
QUINOA RECIPES

 

[8] Salmon on a bed of fdc quinoa (photo © Charlie Palmer Steak | NYC).
 
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*The nine essential amino acids are  ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

†While fresh pasta dough is made from a from flour, water, salt and eggs, dry pasta usually omits the egg. When eggs are added, it is called egg pasta or egg noodles.
 
 

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Three years ago, GQ magazine sent us an article by Lang Whitaker, on how to cook a steak on the stove top.

In the winter, those who grill outside may not be motivated to do so. Households without grills need an inside option. Apartment dwellers may lack ventilation, and set off the smoke alarm trying to grill on the stovetop. Hence, the technique.

Sometimes things get buried in a [digital] pile. Such was the case with this article.

But it’s winter again and a juicy steak is warm comfort food. Here, finally, is the technique, adapted from the original article.

It was designed for people who cook inside in a kitchen without a great ventilation system. Otherwise, cooking a steak on the stovetop, with high heat, can trigger the smoke alarm.

The trick here is to cook for a longer time, with medium heat. A crusty, juicy steak can be cooked on any stove top.
 
 
COOKING A STEAK ON THE STOVE TOP

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. TAKE the steak from the fridge. You don’t need to let it warm to room temperature. Alain Ducasse recommends first rendering the fat from the sides of the steak, but you don’t need to do this if the steak doesn’t have a lot of fat; and unlike a three-star Michelin chef, if you’re not serving it to high-paying customers.

2. COAT one side of the steak generously with salt and pepper. Put the steak seasoned-side down into the cold, dry pan. Place half of the butter on the side, along with a twig of rosemary and two crushed garlic cloves.

3. TURN on the heat to medium: On a scale of 1-10, it shouldn’t be higher than 6. Let the steak cook for 10 minutes; the butter will melt in the process. Tiny wisps of smoke are O.K., but avoid heavier smoke and sizzling. If that happens, turn the heat down. After 10 minutes…

4. REMOVE the steak from the pan and set it on a plate, cooked side down. Using a paper towel, wipe the pan clean, discarding the garlic and rosemary.

[1] Season the meat (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[2] Cook and flip (photo courtesy Let The Baking Begin Blog).

[3] Resting, on the way to the dinner plate (photo courtesy Double R Ranch).

6. TILT the pan to a side and spoon some of the hot, flavored butter over the steak. Then flip the steak and do the same with the other side.

7. PLACE the steak on a plate and let it rest for ten minutes before slicing.
 
 
WHY ALL MEAT SHOULD REST AFTER COOKING

As meat cooks, the proteins heat up and set (become firm). The more cooked the meat, the more set the proteins.

This is why chefs can judge the doneness of a steak or chop by pressing a finger on the top. The softer the meat, the more rare it is; the firmer the meat, the more done it is.

When the proteins set, they push the meat’s juices towards the center of the piece. If you cut the cooked meat before resting it, the juices will burst out onto the plate, leaving you with a drier piece of meat.

But if you let the meat stand away from the heat for 10 minutes (longer for roasts and turkeys), resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Then, the meat will lose less juice when cut, leaving it far more tender and juicy.
 
 
HOW TO REST MEAT

Remove the meat from the heat and place it on a warm plate or serving platter (we microwave the plate to warm it). Cover the meat loosely with foil. If you cover it tightly, the hot meat will sweat and lose the moisture you are trying to preserve!

The time taken to rest depends on size. A rule of thumb used by some chefs is, 1 minute of resting time for every 3.5 ounces (100g) of meat.

[2] Pissaladière, a specialty of Nice, France, made with niçoise olives, anchovies, onions and Provençal herbs. According to a former mayor of Nice, the layer of onions on a pissaladière should be half as thick as the crust. Here’s the recipe from Saveur.

[3] A baked ziti pizza. The idea is said to have been born as a way to use leftover pasta. Here’s the recipe from Hey That Tastes Good.

[4] Pizza cones. Here’s the recipe from Une Cuillere En Bois (use Translate.Google.com if you don’t read French).

[5] Smoked salmon pizza. Here’s the recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon.

[6] A potato and caramelized onion pizza with Gruyère. Here’s the recipe (photo © Domestic Gothess).

[7] Chicago deep dish pizzas (photo © Chenyu Guan | Unsplash).

[8] If you like arugula, top your pie with fresh baby arugula. It’s one of our favorites (photo © Sahand Hoseini | Unsplash).

The second week in January is National Pizza Week, February 9th is National Pizza Day/World Pizza Day and October is National Pizza Month.

In fact, there are 11 pizza holidays in the U.S. Here’s the full list.

A couple of years ago, Food Republic sent us a large infografic with a global look at 50 different ways to eat pizza.

We didn’t think the infographic worked in our format, but we [finally!] transcribed it. We present them to you in alphabetical order.

Pick something new to have this week. We’re going for a piece of Maltese pizza, and a piece of Frutti Di Mare chaser. If we knew where to find it, we’d have a sashimi pizza chaser after that.

> The history of pizza.

> The year’s 16 pizza holidays.
 

[8] Bubble pizza is actually a casserole made with biscuit dough, that puffs up into pull-apart bites. Here’s a recipe (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
 
50+ DIFFERENT TYPES OF PIZZA

These are just some of the hundreds of possible variations, from BBQ chicken pizza to eggplant pizza to mushroom pizza and beyond. If not specified, the pies have a conventional crust.

[10] Sicilian pizza is hearty slice based on from Sicily’s sfincione (thick sponge). It has an airy, fluffy, focaccia-like base, topped with a robust tomato sauce and often, onions, breadcrumbs, and hard cheese like caciocavallo (photo © Flavor & The Menu).
 
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*Calzones are basically folded pizzas, made from pizza dough and stuffed with the same ingredients as pizza – almost always tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, usually ricotta, often pepperoni, and maybe some other cheese and cured meats – and then folded over like an omelet. Stromboli are more like pizza rolls.

**Neapolitan pizza holds legal protections, primarily as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG/STG) product in the European Union since 2010. This safeguards its traditional, specific preparation method. This legal protection, often enforced by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), requires strict adherence to ingredients (San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala/fior di latte) and methods (wood-fired oven at ~485°F, hand-stretched dough). In addition, the art of Neapolitan pizza making is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

†Pizza al taglio or pizza al trancio is a baked in large rectangular trays, and generally sold in rectangular or square slices by weight.

‡According to Wikipedia, “Provel is a white processed cheese particularly popular in St. Louis cuisine, that is a combination of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, and tastes nothing like any of them.” It is sold in blocks, like supermarket cheddar, and is “rarely used elsewhere.”
 
 

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Brodo di pesce, fish soup, is an Italian term for what has been made in coastal, lake and river communities for millennia.

Freshly-caught fish went into a pot with water and whatever vegetables were available to flavor it. Water plus vegetables equals vegetable broth.

Bouillabaisse, a traditional Provençal fish soup or stew (the difference), a recipe that originated in the port city of Marseille, France, and is the city’s signature dish.

Cooking anything en brodo simply means you are cooking it in a flavorful broth. It’s not just for fish: tortellini en brodo is a favorite Italian pasta dish.

Back to the fish:

As rustic fish stews/soups evolved, a variation emerged using pricier fish fillets instead of cheaper cuts. The fillets were poached in the already-prepared broth, and pesce en brodo, emerged.

(Note: brodo di pesce is fish broth, pesce en brodo is fish in a broth. If you see the term in brodo, it’s an American misspelling).
 
 
WHY PESCE EN BRODO BELONGS ON YOUR TABLE

 
Pesce en brodo also accommodates different cooking techniques. You can poach the fish in the broth; or it can be broiled, grilled, or steamed*.
 
For extra points, can serve it with a crusty baguette or garlic bread.

There are many recipes for fish en brodo and fish in brodo online (a search for pesce en brodo will give you recipes in Italian). Or, Search generically for “fish” or for a specific fish (cod, snapper, etc.).

Here’s an easy recipe for the fish of your choice in a tomato-accented broth.
 
 
RECIPE: FISH IN TOMATO BROTH (PESCE EN BRODO DI POMODORO)

Ingredients For 4 Servings

[2] Grilled trout set in a fish broth, at Pakpao Thai | Dallas.

[3] Black bass in an herb brodo with droplets of basil olive oil, at Empire Diner | NYC.

[4] A smaller first course, at Mihako’s 21 Grams.

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the wine, water and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients except the fish, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the tomatoes soften.

2. PLACE the fish fillets in the skillet, spooning some of the broth over them. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.

3. LIFT the fish and tomatoes, using a slotted spoon, into shallow bowls. Discard the thyme and ladle the broth and shallots (and optional vegetables) into each bowl. Garnish with additional fresh thyme or other herbs, or with the optional greens garnish.
 
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*The difference between poaching and steaming: With poaching, the fish (or other food) must be completely submerged in the liquid. It is cooked by the hot liquid. With steaming, Steamed the food sits above the liquid in a steamer basket or other device. It is cooked by the steam.