I only have eyes -- and quinoa brownies -- for you [recipe]

On celebrating the loves of my life all year round

Not required, but a heart-shaped pan is a fun add to the baterie de cuisine.

As I type, the husband, who always announces when he comes home that he’s putting on his lounging pants, is putting one of those snakes down the kitchen drain. A tray of roasted squash is cooling. On the radio, WRTI is playing Betty Carter, Shirley Horn. Some other goodies, too. 

Once he wrangles the snake, I’ll cut the kale into chiffonade and make a lemon-garlic vinaigrette. Squash moons will go on top, plus some leftover roasted chicken and a handful of toasted walnuts. 

It’s Valentine’s Eve, but whatever. There’s love happening right here under that sink. (Thank goodness, no plumber’s crack, though.)

I text the brothers with a photo of my quinoa brownies, a recipe I developed for my second cookbook more than 12 years ago. (Although officially out of print, the Kindle version is still available.) It’s what I’ll make for my Valentine snake wrangler and for any lonely hearts I might run into. John, in Florida, doesn’t know what the hell quinoa is but I remember from cookie jar days he was never one to turn down anything chocolate. Tim, in Ohio, is quite a good baker, but is waiting on an oven install. 

If you liked the puffed rice texture of a Nestle Crunch bar – remember the one with the blue wrapper from the Dinosaur Age -- then you’ll like this brownie, both fudgy and pleasantly crispy in that puffed grain kind of way. 

If I had a little place --- a luncheonette doubling as a used cookware shop – this brownie would be on the menu. Not just because it would have everyone swiveling in their seats with glee; it’s a nutritional powerhouse.

With the quinoa standing in for all-purpose flour, it’s gluten-free, which means all your butter-loving pals can enjoy. Plus – and I promise I’m not shilling for the Quinoa People – you’re getting protein, fiber, iron, Omega 3s, polyphenols – it’s the full suite, my darlings.

In a chapbook of poems that I wrote twenty years ago, I wrote a few lines about searching for love. Here’s the last little bit:

The earth smiles 

And lets you know 

That all the work has not gone unmarked

That goodness is a witch

That love lives in the corners and the pockets

and the sidewalk cracks

The earth moves like a jingly jangly

Hum hum hummmm…

Smell the bread 

Dreams taste sweet

Time allowed 

to understand 

the cling clang clang

of another. 

Don’t miss it.

Planets move

quickly.

I love you. Now let’s preheat the oven. 

Quinoa Brownies

113KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

QUINOA BROWNIES

Makes about 16 servings

Recipe by ©Kim O’Donnel

• 1/2 cup quinoa, or 2/3 cup quinoa flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped roughly

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped roughly

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 eggs, beaten lightly

• 1/2 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped roughly

Grease a baking pan and line with parchment with a few inches of overhang so you can easily remove brownies after baking.

Grind the quinoa in a coffee or spice grinder until it looks powdery, like flour. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt and baking powder.

Set up a double boiler: Pour a few inches of water in a medium saucepan and place a heat-proof bowl that fits snugly on top, yet without touching the water. Place all of the chocolate and the butter in the bowl and melt over medium-low heat. As the mixture melts, the chocolate takes on a glossy sheen. With a heatproof rubber spatula, gently scrape the sides of the bowl and stir. When the mixture is completely melted, it will be shiny and smooth.

Heat the oven to 325 F.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla, followed by the eggs, one at a time. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and stir in the quinoa mixture until well incorporated. Stir in the walnuts until evenly distributed. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and into the preheated oven.

Bake on the middle rack until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out nearly clean, about 35 minutes. You are looking for a fudgy crumb and overbaking will yield a dry result.

Transfer the pan to a rack and allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Using the parchment overhang, remove from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Place a plate on top of the brownies and invert. Carefully remove the parchment. If the brownies are still even a little bit warm, expect some breakage. Slice and serve.

Brownies are best stored in the refrigerator and freeze well when wrapped in foil.

BUYING QUINOA FLOUR VS. GRINDING YOUR OWN

Quinoa flour is readily available on supermarket shelves, but it’s pricey. Keep it stored away from heat and light to slow down oxidation. If you’ve got an electric spice grinder (I have a coffee grinder expressly for this purpose), you can grind your own quinoa, which quickly transforms into powdery flour.