Quinoa Salad w/ Asian Dressing

Quinoa has been called one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  In 2013, it was named "Food of the Year" by the UN due to its nutritional benefits.  Loaded with protein, fiber, and minerals, this recipe combines quinoa and veggies with a delicious Asian dressing.*

Ingredients:

For the quinoa:

2 cups of uncooked quinoa, mixture of red and white
4 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Salad:

1 medium Savoy cabbage chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
Veggies of your choice, chopped
Scallions, greens finely chopped

For the Dressing:

1 tablespoon ghee, or fat of choice
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 small shallot, minced (1 tablespoon)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1.  To cook the quinoa, put 4 cups of water in a sauce pan.  When the water boils, add the 2 cups of uncooked quinoa.  Turn the heat to medium/low and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (uncovered). Taste for salt.

1.  While the quinoa is cooking, melt the ghee in another sauce pan over medium heat until hot.  Add the ginger, shallot and garlic.  Saute for about a minute until fragrant.

2.  In a small bowl, mix the orange juice, coconut aminos, rice vinegar and fish sauce.  Add this to the ginger, shallot, and garlic mixture.  Cook over low heat for about 5-8 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.  Remove the sauce pan from the heat and add the sesame oil.  Let the dressing cool for about five minutes, or until the quinoa is ready.

3.  Toss the quinoa and salad ingredients in a bowl.  Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss.

While it might look like more steps and ingredients than many recipes, the complexity of flavors that results is well worth the effort.  And along with the previous discovery of the savory Red Boat Fish Sauce, coconut aminos turned out to be a delicious, gluten-free substitute for soy sauce.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Dressing recipe adapted from nomnompaleo.com website.