My friend Christina recently posted a Quinoa salad recipe that I tried out on the ladies that I visit teach. I think everyone liked it. I did so check it out!! It is also quite good for you which is always a plus.
Southwest Quinoa Chopped Salad with Chicken and Creamy Salsa Dressing
Total Time: 25 minutes Serves: 6 (6 REALLY hungry people, it makes a ton)
1 c. organic quinoa
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. Wild Oats Medium Salsa (I used whatever kind I had)
1/4 c. organic sour cream or plain yogurt (I tried it both ways. There is so much flavor you don't miss the fat when you use yogurt.)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tsp. Wild Oats Extra Virgin Olive Oil
juice and zest of one lime
sea salt to taste
2 c. rotisserie chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 c. Wild Oats Organic Black Beans, rinsed (I used the whole can of store brand low sodium, what else are you going to do with the 20 beans left over after you measure out 1 cup?)
1/2 organic red or orange bell pepper, diced
2 ears corn or 1 c. Wild Oats Super Sweet Organic Corn, thawed
1 avocado, chopped
1 large, ripe organic tomato, chopped
1 large head organic romaine, chopped
chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish
Bring 1 1/2 cups of cold water to a boil. Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Place quinoa and salt in boiling water. Bring back to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for about 5 minutes. Drain quinoa in fine mesh strainer and set aside to cool. (I skipped all of this, bought pre-rinsed quinoa and cooked it in the rice cooker exactly like I cook rice).
Place salsa, sour cream, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice and zest in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt. Place in refrigerator to chill.
Toss cooled quinoa with chicken, beans, pepper, corn, avocado and tomato. Add just enough dressing to coat evenly. Divide romaine on six plates and top with quinoa salad mixture. Garnish with wedges of fresh lime and cilantro.
5 comments:
Call me stupid...but what is Quinoa? Where do I find it in the store?
OK - Quinoa is awesome. It is found in the bulk food section of the health food section of Harmons or any health food store - like Wild Oats. A few facts about Quinoa (KEEN-wah): categorized as a grain and native to the Andes Mountains and South America. Almost perfect balance of all nine essential amino acids, a complete protein, higher in protein and unsaturated fats, and lower in in carbohydrates than most grains - has an abundance of manganese, calcium, fiber, iron, and magnesium, vitamin B and E and gluten free. Suggested that you use to replace for rice, pasta or hot cereal, stir cooked quinoa into pancake or waffle batter.
Yum, I can't wait to try this out!
Ooh, sounds good! I'll have to try it out. I'll also have to send this link to my mother-in-law. . . she's told me several times about the health benefits of quinoa and other "Super Grains" as she calls them.
Loved the salad! Thanks for the great recipes.
Post a Comment