The Back Yard Lemon Tree

I recently got back from a six week trip to India and as usual when I’m travelling I began to crave crunchy fresh salads. During my trip I spent three weeks in an Auyervedic clinic in Kerala doing a panchakarma detox. At the end of my three weeks I was given a list of a foods, based on auyervedic principles, that I should avoid. In the carbohydrate section, rice and wheat got emphatic crosses next to them and I spent several days slightly devastated by thought of not eating wheat or rice anymore – I mean rice!!!

By the end of my trip I had almost come to terms with my new dietary restrictions and was obsessing about quinoa salad. I had six days in Mumbai before I flew back to Australia, staying in the Cosmopolitan hot spot of Bandra West, home to lots of fashionable cafes. My favorite cafe was Mary Lodge which had a brilliant and very elevated version of avocado ‘hipster’ toast but it was the quinoa energy bowl at the Kitchen Garden which really allayed my homesick food cravings.

The first thing I made when I got home, jet lagged to the max was this – Rainbow Quinoa Salad. This kind of salad with its wildly colorful medley of vegetables is what I miss most when I’m away. This is the type of food that epitomizes the taste of home for me, crunchy, fresh and colorful, the full spectrum of a rainbow in a bowl.

Notes on the Recipe:

The original recipe for this salad roasts the quinoa in the oven for fifteen minutes but I only do this step if I’m making this for a salad for a very special party.

I do however have a way of cooking quinoa that always ensures a super fluffy quinoa. Basically, I parboil the quinoa in salted water, then steam the quinoa in a sieve for ten minutes over boiling water. It is a bit of a hassle but the result is worth it for me. If all this seems like too much palaver just follow the instructions on the packet to cook your quinoa.

You can serve this salad as a side or as a meal in itself. It has enough protein with quinoa and edamame to make it a meal but you can add extra protein – some crumbled feta, fried haloumi or baked fish if you feel you need to complete the meal.

The garnishes – the toasted sesame seeds and crushed wasabi peas are optional but the crushed wasabi peas are particularly good and will tempt the harshest of quinoa sceptics to try this salad.

Rainbow Quinoa Salad

Adapted from RecipeTinEats

Serves 8-10 as a side or 5 as a meal

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 cup of cucumber, finely diced (If you are using Lebanese or a more watery cucumber take out the seeds before dicing)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
• 3 cups of red cabbage, finely shredded (1/4 small or 1/8 large cabbage)
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 250g/ 8oz cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters or into 6 if large
• 1 cup of shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions and cooled
• 1 red capsicum/ bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup coriander/ cilantro leaves, finely chopped

For the Dressing

• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon mirin
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola, vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise (If you want to keep this vegan Kewpie vegan mayo is excellent)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar ( I use monkfruit sugar)
• 2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely grated using a microplane

Garnishes

• 1/3 cup of wasabi peas, coarsely crushed (I use my mortar and pestle)
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, toasted

For the Quinoa

If you are roasting your quinoa pre-heat oven to 200C. Spread quinoa over a large tray. Roast quinoa for 15 minutes until quinoa browns and smells fragrant.

Rinse quinoa and cook according to packet directions.

Super Fluffy Quinoa

1. Rinse quinoa well in three changes of water to remove bitter coating. Most packaged quinoa is pre-washed but I still rinse my quinoa at least once.
2. Bring about four cups of salted water to the boil in a large saucepan and cook quinoa for about 7–8 minutes (2–3 minutes less than packet instructions) until quinoa is just slightly tender (al dente).
3. Drain quinoa in large sieve, then place sieve on saucepan with about and inch of water simmering below. Cover quinoa with a folded tea towel and lid and steam quinoa over simmering water for about five minutes until quinoa is tender. Be careful not to let the water touch the quinoa in the bottom of the sieve.
4. Remove from heat and let quinoa sit covered with tea towel and lid for another five to ten minutes until tender, fluffy and dry. Cool Quinoa before making salad.

For the Dressing

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing – Mayonnaise, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, oil, sugar, ginger and garlic in a jar and shake until ingredients are well combined.

For the Salad

In a big bowl quinoa with all the salad ingredients. Use a big bowl for this so you can mix the salad really well. Next add salad dressing and mix well. This recipe makes a lot of salad, I often just dress half the salad and dress the other half of the salad the day or when I want to eat it.

To Serve – Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and wasabi peas just before serving.