Quinoa and Carrot Salad
Difficulty Level Easy
We are now in a heat wave, with the temperature hitting at least 100F for the past 4 days. We don't have any air conditioning because our house is shaded by mature maple and oak trees and they normally keep the place cool, but this level of heat is just too much for trees to provide that protection.
With weather like that it's hard to get excited about eating anything, let alone cooking something. A glass of cold water is about as alluring as anything else right now. But I still have to feed my family, so the trick is to get something made early in the day if you can, and then eat it cold if you have enough energy to lift a fork to your mouth. This takes very little cooking time and then you can set it in the fridge and try to find a place to cool off.
I made this quinoa salad for my dinner party last week, when it was warm, but not so debilitating as this heat is and it made a very nice addition to the buffet table. It's a nice light dish, which will give you all the nutrition you need but won't make you feel full and uncomfortable. I made some small changes to the recipe. Personally, it was a bit sweet for my taste and I think I might be inclined to leave the agave nectar out altogether. I added a bit of olive oil to the dressing because I found that without it, the spices just sat on top of the lemon juice and agave nectar. The oil made an emulsion, which I much preferred. I also added some sliced olives and some capers and left out the raisins to balance out the sweetness, but this is a personal preference. If you have other vegetables on hand, especially if they are already cooked, you can add them as well.
This recipe is adapted from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, MD and Robyn Webb.
INGREDIENTS
| 1 cup | quinoa |
| 1 1/2 lbs | carrots, thinly sliced |
| 1 1/2 | lemons (juice) |
| 1 1/2 tsp | agave nectar |
| 3 tbsp | extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced |
| 3/4 tsp | ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 tsp | ground cumin |
| 3 | pinches cayenne pepper |
| Kosher salt to taste | |
| Freshly ground black pepper to taste | |
| 1/2 cup | golden raisins |
| 2 tbsp | capers, drained |
| 1/2 cup | olives, pitted and sliced |
PREPARATION:
- Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve under running water for about 1 minutes. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour in the quinoa and return to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Drop in carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, agave nectar, olive oil, garlic, cinammon, cumin cayenne, salt and black pepper. Add the quinoa, carrots, raisins, capers and olives. Toss. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.
You Might Also Like
Making quick breads are simple, especially if you follow our easy-to-use ingredients list and baking instructions.
Learn how to cook a Pasta that will practically guarantee your friends and family will ask for a second helping.
