Here’s another great salad for your barbecue . The chile, lime, cilantro and cumin make this a perfect partner for Mexican dishes, like tequila marinated chicken or shrimp. Although we had this last night with the Asian Grilled Salmon recipe (on Heronearth) and it was just divine ; I’ll be doing those two together all summer.
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
salt
2 cups grilled corn (from about 2 ears, cut off the cobs)
2 cups chopped tomatoes, or cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3/4 cup chopped green onion
3 Tbs. lime juice
2 Tbs oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse under running water until the water runs clear, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the quinoa into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The quinoa will dry, then start to stick a bit. Keep stirring and it will begin to toast, smell nutty and turn a light golden color. (About 5 minutes total.) Add the water and 1/4 tsp. salt, bring to a slow simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is dry, about 15 minutes. (See package directions; this can vary). Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. (Dish can be prepared to this point up to a day in advance and refrigerated tightly covered; bring to room temperature before serving.)
When ready to serve, transfer the quinoa to a mixing bowl and gently stir in the corn, tomatoes, chile, green onions and 1 tsp. salt. Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic and cumin in a blender and puree to a smooth dressing ( or whisk together)Pour about half of the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir gently to combine. Add more dressing to taste. Gently fold in the cilantro. Correct the seasoning with more salt or lime juice if needed, and serve. Makes about 6 cups salad.
Note: I halved the recipe for two of us, but forgot and added in the full amount of quinoa; so yours will be much more filled with the vegetables!
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