Quinoa Salad

 

Quinoa (Keen-Wah) is a grain originating from South America. It has a very high protein content and no gluten. It is also very delicious.

Cook quinoa using absorption method, similar to rice. Always wash quinoa before cooking, you never know what your farmer has been doing before he used some grubby hands to harvest your delicious grain. Put about half a cup per person in a pot and run cold water over it. Fill the pot with running water, whisk, pour off any grains that won’t sink and repeat. Repeat. Pour off excess water, you want about equal parts quinoa and water, the water should be about a centimeter above the quinoa. (You can drain completely and measure if needed, but just do it a few times and you’ll get the feeling).

Bring to a boil and immediately cover tightly and reduce heat to as low as you can. Leave for about ten minutes and your grains should be cooked and all the water gone. The grains should looked cooked and not have a visible white center (not quite done). Do not add salt until cooking is finished, “salt inhibits the absorption of moisture.” Remember that, it goes for any grains you are trying to re-hydrate..

Remove from heat and flip into a large bowl.

Now for flavour. What you want is to pretty much saturate the grains with a vinaigrette, add some texture, season and enjoy. Any of these ingredients can be substituted with similar of your choice.

For texture add chopped tomatoes and cucumber and toasted nuts (add the nuts very last move so they do not become soggy).

For your vinaigrette peel as much garlic as you can (or get your wife to do it). Like lots and lots of garlic, put it in a pot and cover with extra virgin olive oil, turn to low and cook until garlic is soft golden sticky and delicious. Cool. We call this garlic confit (confit = cooked in fat (see it on a menu, order it, you love it, consciously or otherwise)). Remove the garlic pieces and add to you bowl, put them all in, you probably didn’t do enough.

Add the cooled garlic oil to a blender with a third as much lemon juice and a solid shot of maple syrup, agave nectar or honey and enough salt. Blend. Add a bunch of basil, parsley and tarragon. Bend. There’s your herb vinaigrette.

Pour the dressing into the bowl, use lots.

Add super finely chopped (no, that’s not fine enough, chop more) preserved lemon.

Gently fold using a wooden paddle is best. Adjust seasoning (with salt). Add your toasted nuts. Eat.