It wasn't very long ago that quinoa was unfamiliar in my kitchen. I had seen it cooked on television and spotted it on grocery store shelves, but passed it over as a new "food trend" that would quickly fade away. But then I gave in and tried it...
Holy delicious batman! And good for you! It was love at first bite <3 Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. It was "tolerable" at first bite. Then I played around with it a few times and discovered a secret on how to make it absolutely delicious...
Substitute stock for water!
Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! I used vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian and gluten free dish, but feel free to substitute chicken or beef stock.
First things first, cook your quinoa. Just follow the instructions on the back of the box, but substitute vegetable stock for the water. Throw your frozen peas in on top for the last 5 minutes. Don't stir them in, just leave them on top to defrost.
At this point, you can add in your fresh grated parmesan, blanched asparagus, a touch of garlic powder, parsley, and S&P to taste and call it a day. But I like to get fancy and add about 1/4 cup of homemade Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette.
In a bowl, whisk together the juice of a lemon, Dijon mustard, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, and S&P to taste. This makes more than you will need for the salad. But trust me, it is delicious! Use it as a dressing on a green salad, as a marinade for fish, or just dip your carrot sticks in it. That's what I did!
Toss together your quinoa/pea mix, asparagus, parmesan, about 1/4 cup of the dressing, and S&P to taste. Garnish with a touch of dried parsley and you are in business! Tastes great at room temperature or served cold. It'll last 5 or so days in the fridge as well. Perfect for quick lunches or in a pita with lettuce and tomato :)
Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Peas, and Parmesan
- 1 cup of quinoa, cooked according to directions on packaging and substituting vegetable stock for water
- Vegetable stock for cooking quinoa (see above)
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 cup blanched asparagus, cut into thirds
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- S&P to taste
- Parsley for garnish
Cook quinoa according to package direction, substituting vegetable stock for the amount of water required. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, pour frozen peas in on top of quinoa, but don't stir. You just want them to defrost on top.
While the quinoa is cooking, blanche asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa/pea mixture, frozen peas, asparagus, parmesan, garlic powder, and prepared vinaigrette. Season with s&p to taste and garnish with parsley.
Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
- Juice of one lemon, about 1/3 cup
- 4 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1/4 olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- S&P to taste
In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator. Can be used as a marinade, salad dressing, or just drink it. Sometimes I just drink it. It's that good.
Enjoy!!!
Leave a Comment: