MealTime Success

Colorful Quinoa

February 23, 2009

Quinoa seeds have gained a lot of popularity in the recent years, for good reason. This light and fluffy grain has been used in South America for centuries. Quinoa is very easy to cook and it has an extremely high nutritional value. This quinoa salad recipe can be the perfect way to start including this wonderful grain into your regular diet.

Kind of food: Main course, side
How long: 20 min
Makes: About 1.5 cups of salad
Pots and pan: Small pot

Ingredients
1/4 cup Quinoa (found easily in most grocery stores)
1/4 cup carrot – grated
1/4 cup red bell pepper – choppped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (drained and squeezed from the oil)
1/4 cup Avacado – chopped in small cubes
1 tsp Olive oil (optional)
Salt to taste

How to make:
Place the dry quinoa is a pot. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring it to a boil and cover and simmer for 10 min, till the water is fully absorbed. Leave the quinoa covered and let it rest for 5 min. While the quinoa is simmering, chop the prepare the vegetables. Saute the red bell peppers and carrots for a couple of minutes till crisp. If would like to avoid oil, you can skip this saute step.  Fluff  up the quinoa with a fork. Combine all quinoa with the saute peppers & carrots, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, and add salt (if needed to taste).Chill the salad if you like it cold. Warm quinoa salad tastes great as well.

Keep it Smart, Short and Sazzy! – Anu

Serving ideas
Serve chilled on a hot summer day.
Can add any vegetable of your choice -Try it with cucumbers, celery, and fresh herbs.

Tips, tricks and ideas
Prepare and chill the salad ahead of time.
The salad travels well for day trips or lunch boxes.
Quinoa can also be cooked in a rice cooker or microwave. Look the package instructions for other ways to cook this grain.
Quinoa is a great substitute for white rice or couscous.

Entry Filed under: 15-30 min appetizers, 15-30 min fixes, 15-30 min meals, Daily Battles, Lunch box, One pot meals, Specialty Meals, Travel meals. Tags: avocado, quinoa, red bell peppers, salad, sun, sun-dried tomato.