My mom asked me for this recipe ages ago and apparently it made quite a splash in my hometown. Although the cheques keep rolling in day after day, I have chosen to make this recipe open-source on the grounds that all civilization, and especially The Children, will be benefitted by the distribution of this fine salad.

Cook 1.5 cups dried quinoa in 3 cups water until the liquid has evaporated and the husks are starting to release from the grains.

It's a quinoa WONDERLAND!!!1!

Fluff, cover, take off heat and set aside. Fluff again after about 10 minutes and put in the fridge, or if you’re Canuckistani, outside to cool.

You will also need:

1 English cucumber, topped and tailed and cut into sliced quarters
1 package grape or cherry tomatoes, halved. These little tomatoes will work better than the big ‘uns since their skins help them preserve their structural integrity during the salad-making and storing phase.
OPTIONAL: A good-sized chunk of feta cheese, cut into 1/2″ cubes. Tofu would do if you’re hard up or feeling sorry for yourself, and Bryanna Clark Grogan’s soy-feta is wicked awesome for you vegan cats out there.
1 bunch cilantro, chopped. If you are a cilantro-hating Philistine you can make a respectable tabouleh-esque facsimile of this salad using parsley
1 package pea shoots or similarly robust sprout like sunflower, chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 shallot, diced finely
1 tbsp lemon juice
Couple of splashes of Bragg’s
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Sea salt and pepper

In a large [LARGE] bowl, combine cucumber and tomatoes and a couple shakes of salt.  Stir to cover and let rest for about 15 minutes to release any extra water out of these vegetables before you prepare the salad.  Drain if necessary.

Add feta or feta-substitute, chilled cooked quinoa, cilantro, and then shift to an even larger bowl or even stock pot because you didn’t realize when I said “large” up above I really meant like the largest bowl you have.  Then add the pea shoots now that you have room.  Stir to combine.

In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, whisk together garlic, shallot, lemon, Bragg’s, cayenne and olive oil.  A couple of shakes of black pepper never go amiss.  Pour over grains’n'vegs in giant bowl and wind to combine thoroughly.  Make the stirring of this salad a mini-meditation on the glories of quinoa.  It will last for a really long time, so you can serve it as a side or bring it with you to work as a mini-meal or adjunct to a more substantial meal.  It also goes over very well at potlucks as it looks awesome and is suitable for wheat-free diets.  Also it costs about CDN$10.50 and will feed a small army.

2 Comments »

April 3rd, 2009 Lindsay Says:

I saw you eating this the other day and it looked so very delicious.

(Your food art is strong, Obi Wan…)

suddenly. craving. quinoa.
mmmmm….

April 29th, 2009 Intrablog Miscellany | Heavy Metta Says:

[...] wanted you guys to know that I made the quinoa salad up with barley ’cause I ran out of quinoa and it was actually great, maybe even better in [...]

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