“Eating superfoods won’t turn you into a superhero, but it might help you look better in Lycra.” ~ Nicole Cody
Quinoa (pronounced keen- wah) is touted as one of the latest ‘superfoods’ and apparently all the cool and beautiful people have recently discovered it. As you well know, I’m not in the ‘cool and beautiful’ department but I have been eating quinoa for years, and it rocks!
It looks like a grain but quinoa’s actually a seed; gluten free, low in fat, high in complete protein, and chock full of iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc.
My previous efforts for the Potluck have included Vegan Broccoli, Cashew and Lime Soup and Creamy Satay Hotpot.
Today’s quinoa recipe can be served warm as a side, or cold, as a salad. It’s a terrific dish for all your vegan and vegetarian friends, as well as a tasty addition to your average carnivore’s plate. It also doesn’t take much cooking skill, so it can be prepared by the least confident of cooks! 🙂
Ingredients:
I cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water or vegetable stock, 1/2 large or 1 small red salad onion finely diced, 1/2 to 1 cup of broken walnut halves, 2 oranges peeled with seeds and membranes removed and chopped into small pieces, 2 scallions/green onions/shallots chopped, 1 small bunch of coriander/cilantro chopped, butter lettuce or similar to serve.
Cooking the Quinoa:
Place quinoa and water or stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is fluffy and delicious. Feel free to eat a spoonful or two as a taste test.
While the quinoa is cooking, cut up your herbs, onion and oranges, roughly chop or break your walnut halves and drink some water. Water is good for you. If it’s cold drink warm water. There, doesn’t that feel better?
Dressing:
1 teaspoon of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (use this to taste!), 1 to 2 cloves of freshly crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder (optional but good).
Whisk all ingredients together until well blended, or place into a lidded jar and shake vigorously to combine.
To assemble:
If you want to eat this as a warm side, immediately toss all the other ingredients and the dressing through the quinoa and spoon onto your washed and drained lettuce leaves.
For a cold side, let the quinoa cool and then add all other ingredients.
It looks very decorative served up in a pretty bowl lined with lettuce, or it can be plated up individually. This dish makes for great left-overs too!
To enjoy the rest of the Virtual Vegan Potluck recipes, click on the navigation buttons below.
Clicking go back takes you to Canned Time – a vegan delight, where Angela has created the most delectable Pear and Broccoli Sprout Salad with Balsamic Caramelized Sweet Potato Cubes.
Clicking go forward will land you at an unrefined vegan – hosted by the honestly amazing, undauntable, and most lovely Annie. Her blog is a thoughtful and beautifully assembled exploration of her journey into veganism, and that bumpy road we call life. Hugs and love to you, gorgeous Annie! Her offering today is Sweet Potato Fries with parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
Annie is the original inspiration behind these Virtual Vegan Potlucks, and I’m so glad that I stumbled upon her blog about the time when I first started my own. Thanks too to Somer and Jason for all their efforts with making this Potluck happen.
Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the rest of the Potluck! xx
Quinoa is so versatile! I love this, looks delicious.
Looks delicious, I love how quinoa absorbs all the flavours so well!
I do too – it’s such a tasty versatile little thing! 😀
This is really great. As I was reading the recipe, I was thinking that this will be great leftovers… and then you mention it too :). Thank you for the great side dish suggestion.
The dressing sounds delicious, I can’t wait to try it with some maple syrup. This sounds like a great filling lunch! Mmmm
I love your presentation! This salad looks delicious! Honey isn’t vegan. I guess we can substitute agave or brown rice syrup? 🙂
Good point! Yes, of course – I would probably use brown rice syrup or a little maple syrup…
A divine & tasty mixed quinoa salad, my dear friend! Well done you! A grand & very tasty entry for this VVP! I agree here! MMMMM!
oh, quinoa makes everything fabulous! I loved that quote, I live for my superfoods! 😉
I eat quinoa almost everyday, I just can’t get enough! This looks so good.
I hope you try this recipe, Brittany. It IS really good!
YUM this dressing sounds delicious and I am always down for some quinoa 😉 Happy potluck!
It’s a great combination, and the dressing really makes it. Thanks for stopping by 😀 xx
Oo, this looks delicious. Especially with all that fresh cilantro! 🙂
I’m mad on cilantro, or coriander as we call it in Australia. Makes it extra special!
I love quinoa with asian flavors – yours look divine Nicole! Delicious!
Thanks, Anne. Much love to you xx
Yummy quinoa! This looks geat!
– alexis
http://www.sugarcoatedvegan.com
I love quinoa, this looks delicious!
I hope you try it – it’s really yummy 🙂
Mmmm, I make a curried quinoa, but this looks like an even better main dish! xx
Yum – I think quinoa is good any way!!!
Awww, Nicole. Thank you. You are lovely. And thank you for the scrumptious recipe. Hugs and hugs and hugs!
PS…can you update your back link to connect w/ Angela at Canned Time: http://canned-time.com/pear-broccoli-sprout-salad-with-balsamic-glazed-sweet-potato-cubes/ Gaia’s Creations didn’t not show today.
Done. Don’t we have some sensational recipes this year?
Much love to you xx
A fantastic showing! People really went all-out.
They sure did – I’ll be making new recipes all year now!
I love grain based salads! Quinoa, cilantro, walnuts – sounds so good.
Exciting flavours!
Walnuts? That’s pure genius!
Pure deliciousness, actually 🙂
Fantastic! and your quote above put a smile on my face this morning!
That’s good! It was very hard to source a quote on quinoa… LOL 😀 xx
Gawguss!
🙂 Thank you!
Nicole I think you are both super cool and truly beautiful.
♥ What a lovely thing to say. Thank youxoxo
Happy Virtual Vegan Potluck 3.0 Day! I love quinoa, but I have never made any quinoa dishes with Asian flavors before. Have you tried the red quinoa?
♡ rika, vegan miam
http://www.veganmiam.com
★ we travel + eat vegan blog ★
I have and it’s super yum too!
Happy Virtual Vegan Potluck to you, Rika 🙂 xx