8 TREASURE QUINOA SALAD
Serves 4-6
I’ve made quinoa more than a hundred times, and every time I make it I’m humbled by what this tiny grain teaches me, which is to begin again, as though I’ve never made it before.
This quinoa salad is meant to be assembled and served at room temperature. I think of the 8 treasures as colors of the rainbow, each color representing an exquisite reflection of our soul and spirit. When I first began playing with color as an artist, I couldn’t believe how healing color could be for the soul. Think of this quinoa dish as a blank canvas, and you get to put in all the colors that resonate with you. There is a deep connection to red as a grounding color. And greens open the heart. Yellows reflect our power center (no, not the head, but the belly). Yellow is uplifting and brightening, like the sun. Purples are truly divine sparks that bring us into an elevated way of thinking. When you eat colors that are vibrant, radiant and more colorful, you open to your creativity and energy in a whole new way. This is one of those dishes that harmonizes with your needs in a deeply satisfying way, any time of day.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sprouted quinoa (or soaked quinoa)
Pinch of sea salt
1 organic lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon chunky salt
Few rounds of fresh ground black pepper
2 cups total of fresh colorful vegetables cut into bite sized pieces (think rainbow - red bell peppers, pink and white radishes, orange carrots, green peas, purple cabbage, yellow summer squash or corn are a few suggestions)
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ cup cooked small bean - like adzuki, lentil or black bean
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
Optional: balsamic vinegar
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Bring water to boil in a kettle or small pot. Reduce the heat and keep at a simmer until ready to use.
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve to remove the saponin (bitter-tasting part). Allow your fingers to be playful with the grain as you rinse.
Transfer quinoa to a medium-sized saute pan and dry roast over moderate heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the grain becomes aromatic and starts to gently pop. The color will change to a few shades darker and most of the water will have evaporated.
Lower the heat and carefully pour the hot water over the quinoa (do this slowly or it will boil over). Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Remove the cover, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
While the quinoa is cooling, rinse, dry and cut 2 cups total of fresh colorful vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
In a large serving bowl, combine cooked quinoa, cut up rainbow veggies, shallot, ginger, parsley, basil, and cooked beans. Toss the quinoa salad with lemon zest dressing and adjust the seasonings to taste. Feel free to drizzle with more olive oil or add a swirl of good quality balsamic vinegar.
Top with slivered almonds.
