Salad goes nutty with toasted quinoa
Yield:
Garnish:
If you are old enough to remember the Ford administration, you may equate vegetarian diets with flavor sacrifice. A lackluster, dry lentil-nut-loaf kind of cuisine perceived as taste-bud deprivation.
There are loads of palate joy in cookbook author Marie Simmons’ toasted quinoa with seasonal vegetables, plus a bounty of fresh herbs. She uses grains, such as farro or quinoa, as well as other ingredients to boost flavors. Her vegetarian cooking looks to international cuisines for combinations of flavors: Middle Eastern, Asian and Mediterranean.
Dig your fork into this summertime dish and relish the nutty note that pantoasting the quinoa brings to the concoction.
Toasted quinoa, corn and avocado salad
4servings as a main dish or 8as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
1 / cups quinoa; see cook’s notes 1 tablespoon mild-flavored olive oil or other vegetable oil
Jalapeño dressing:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 tablespoons mild-flavored olive oil or other vegetable oil
/ cup fresh lime juice, plus more to taste 1 tablespoon finely chopped, seeded jalapeño chile, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about
2 ears)
1cup diced ( / inch) firm, ripe Roma tomatoes
/ cup thin-sliced ( / inch) green onions (white and green parts)
1ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced ( / inch)
/ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Cook’s notes: Most quinoa in the marketplace is prewashed, so you can usually skip Step 1. Use caution when working with fresh chiles; upon completion wash hands and work surface thoroughly and do NOT touch eyes or face.
PROCEDURE
1. Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold, running water for at least 45 seconds. Shake the strainer to remove as much water as possible.
2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add rinsed quinoa and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it is a light golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Add 2cups water and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and appears to be uncoiling, 18-20minutes. Let stand, covered, until cool, about 10 minutes.
3. To make dressing: Sprinkle cumin in a small skillet and toast over medium-low heat until fragrant and a shade darker in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. When skillet is cool to the touch, add the oil, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic and salt. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk to blend.
4. Add the cooled quinoa, corn, tomatoes and green onions to the dressing and toss to blend. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle the avocado and cilantro on top.
Source: “Fresh & Fast Vegetarian,” by Marie Simmons (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.95)