Quinoa is grown in the Andes and has shot to fame–though how to pronounce it is still a question. We’ve settled for keen-wa (sometimes I revert to keen-o-wa!). It comes in a number of colours though so far I’ve only seen red and white and has a reputation for being easily digested. It is gluten free.
A salad for all seasons this. Light and fluffy white quinoa is laced with thinly sliced red onion and flavored with lemon juice, olive oil, mint and parsley.
It looks good on a favourite plate and has surprising depth of taste.
It’ll feature in my new book, Healthy Eating for Life (to be published in January 2014).
Serves four
1 cup/6oz quinoa (white preferably, for the look)
2 cups/12 floz vegetable stock—I use organic vegetable stock cubes
1 small bunch each parsley and mint–chopped
Half a small red onion—sliced thin
1½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place a saucepan over a low heat and pour in the quinoa.
Let it dry roast for 5 minutes–stirring all the time.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook for about 20 minutes–until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid and has puffed up.
Set aside to cool.
Add the oil and lemon juice to the cooled quinoa and stir in with a fork.
Fold in the mint and parsley, again stirring them with the fork.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the salad to a pretty plate.
Sprinkle with some more mint and parsley.
Robin Ellis 