Keen on quinoa

photos by pwisenberg

If you know me at all, you know I'm a huge fan of quinoa (today's veritable "it-girl" of health foods). This little gem of a recipe is a staple in my house and can be varied slightly by adding whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. For me, the red quinoa paired with the bright green soy beans creates the perfect combination of both texture and colour. Besides that, I usually go nuts with the other ingredients- the more colour the better! The lemony-dill dressing with a hint of garlic ties the whole thing together and the dish winds up light, crisp and totally tasty. And so, my little birdies, I'm thrilled to share the recipe for my super-fantastic-never-let-you-down rainbow quinoa salad.

Rainbow quinoa salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups red quinoa
2 cups frozen shelled soy beans (bring to a boil, simmer for 4 minutes, drain, season)
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Lemon-dill dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
zest and juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa to 3 cups water and bring to a boil (tip: the best ratio for cooking perfect quinoa is 1 1/2 cups liquid for every 1 cup of quinoa). Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 17 minutes. Take off heat and let stand a couple minutes before adding additional ingredients. Meanwhile, prep soy beans and fresh veggies. Next, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Once quinoa has cooled, combine it with the beans, bell pepper, tomatoes and onion. Dress the salad and top each serving with a swirl of cheerful carrot ribbons. Can be enjoyed warm or cold, yum!

P.S. Don't be afraid to go back for seconds (read: thirds), because this baby is guilt-free!