I realize we’re almost into winter here, and no, this post isn’t outdated. It’s merely a reminder of the denial I’ve been in since I gawked at the first round of flurries for 2011. Although, admittedly the cold front’s running a little behind schedule this year – still, it’s always the right season for a quick summer salad.
What I love most about salads is the flexibility with ingredients. Got some left-0ver cucumbers? Toss ‘em in. Don’t know what to do with the rest of that tomato? Dice it up and throw it in the salad bowl. I’d grown tired of using run of the mill ingredients like lettuce and spinach as the base of my salad, so I did some digging around and discovered the funny sounding ingredient from the title of this post: quinoa. What exactly is quinoa? Pronounced “keen-o-wah”, this grain is a great source of protein for any salad, or can even be used in place of couscous, rice, or other carbs in case you’re watching your diet. It’s also gluten-free: great for anyone with allergies.
Do keep an eye on the amounts being used – the quantity triples in size when cooked. Make sure to wash the grain thoroughly before either boiling or roasting on a stove top. This recipe, again, is very flexible: feel free to play around with the veggies being added.
Summer Quinoa Salad
- 1 cup Quinoa grains, washed
- 1/2 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup diced bell peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped spring onions
- 1 tin sweetened corn
- A fewsprigs each of parsley and mint
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red chilli pepper flakes (if you like it hot)
