Kitchen Sink Quinoa Salad

MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

GATHER

□ 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

□ 1¾ cups water

□ 5 small yellow beets, washed and halved

□ 5 small red beets, washed and halved

□ 6 heirloom carrots, cut into quarters lengthwise

□ 2 tablespoons olive oil

□ 3 pinches of salt fresh cracked pepper

□ 5 scallions, white part and first

□ 2 inches of the green, roughly chopped

□ 1 cup pomegranate seeds or currants

□ 2 poblano chilis

□ 6 radishes, cut into ¼-inch cubes

□ 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch cubes

¾ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

½ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1⁄3 cup shelled hemp seeds watermelon radishes, if desired

For the Vinaigrette:

□ 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

□ 1 teaspoon salt

□ ¼ cup Dijon mustard

□ ½ teaspoon cumin powder

□ 1⁄3 cup lemon juice

□ Zest of 1 lemon

□ 1⁄3 cup olive oil

□ Freshly cracked pepper

MAKE IT

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Place quinoa and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for

15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Do not stir while it is cooking. Remove from heat and transfer into a large bowl to cool.

3. Place the beets and carrots separately onto two small baking sheets. Drizzle oil over the vegetables, sprinkle a dash of salt and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper. Use your hands to massage in the oil.

4. Place the sheet pans into the oven on the middle and bottom racks and bake for

30 minutes. At the 15-minute mark, switch the trays and stir the veggies well. Remove from the oven and let cool.

5. While the veggies are baking, roast the poblano chilis. Turn a burner on high and using tongs place poblano chilis on the flame or burner. Turn chilis with tongs every few minutes until blackened.

6. Remove chilis from heat; place into a medium bowl and cover for 15 minutes.

7. Make the Vinaigrette: Mash garlic in a bowl with a fork. Add salt and continue mashing until you have paste. Add Dijon mustard and stir. Add the cumin powder, lemon juice and zest; stir again. Incorporate olive oil and pepper; whisk until emulsified. Set aside.

8. Once the roasted beets and carrots are cool enough to handle, cut them into ¼-inch cubes. Then add them to the bowl with the quinoa.

9. Remove the poblano chilis from the bowl and, under running water, remove the skins with your hands. They will peel off easily. Split the chilis open, remove the seeds, and pat dry. Cut into ¼-inch pieces; add them to the quinoa, along with the scallions, pomegranate seeds or currants, radishes, cucumbers, and pine nuts; mix until combined. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir well. Note: If you want it a little dryer, don’t use all the dressing.

10. Stir in the mint, parsley, and hemp seeds; transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with more hemp seeds and sliced watermelon radishes.