Quinoa Salad
Quinoa – a must power-packed ingredient for a vegetarian or vegan diet and a pantry staple. The health and wellness benefits of quinoa are innumerable and the simplicity in which it can be prepared and flavoured is just amazing. Add it to soups, use it in a salad, substitute it for rice, I have on many occasions used cooked quinoa in my bran muffins and fruit cake – just to add some “Healthiness” – and the list is never-ending. Just as its uses are never-ending -so are its health benefits: –
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- Gluten-free
- Essential + more than you need for strong bones
- High protein
- Antioxidants that aid in fighting diseases
- Gut health
- High in fibre
- Powerhouse of nutrients
For my recipe today – I am using it in a veggie-packed cooked salad which can be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Quinoa Salad
10ml sesame oil
1 green chilli (optional)
15ml sesame seeds
100ml shredded cabbage (coloured variety looks nice)
150ml grated carrots (coloured variety looks nice)
300ml cooked mix coloured quinoa
5ml salt
2ml sugar
10ml lemon juice
100ml finely sliced mix pepper
5ml sesame seeds to garnish
50ml crushed peanuts or any nuts
5ml chopped green chilli to garnish
Method
- Heat oil in a heavy-based pan, wok or kadai, add chillies and sesame seeds and allow to splutter
- Add the cabbage, carrots and lower heat – allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes (you literally just want the raw taste of cabbage to go), season with salt, sugar and lemon juice – adjust seasoning as per taste
- While the vegetables are still warm mix in the coloured peppers and for extra “Oomph”, you can also add in 1 chopped green chilli
- Allow the vegetables to cool before adding the cooked & cooled mix coloured quinoa
- Garnish with sesame seeds, nuts, chopped chilli (optional) and serve as a side dish, or a main meal salad – Enjoy!
NB – you will find in most of my salad recipes I do not add raw onion or garlic – and this is simply my personal taste preference – you may add them if you want them
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