Salad Days

Grain-based salads are a pretty interesting species of salad. Most people are familiar with tabbouleh - that tasty mix of bulgar, parsley, lemon and tomatoes. There are so many other delicious grains out there, though, that are worth playing with.

Quinoa is one of my favorites. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. Its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is also a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. 

I obviously advocate eating it in salad form (below is just one suggestion), but you should consider eating it for breakfast too (mixed with honey, almonds and berries). 

Quinoa Pilaf Salad

3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
zest of one orange
1 can mandarin oranges drained
generous pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt, optional
several handfuls of salad greens, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

Place the quinoa and water in a small sauce pan, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.

In the mean time, chop the almonds and onion. Put them in the bowl with all of the remaining ingredients except the greens.

When the quinoa is done, mix it in with the fruit/nut mixture. If you want to serve this cold, cool the quinoa mixture. When you’re ready to eat, place a handful of greens on a plate and top with generous spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture.