Did you know that quinoa is considered a super food? It's full of protein and fibre and has all the essential amino acids. It is perfect for those on gluten free or vegetarian diets. I cook with it all of the time and I'm always finding ways to throw it into baked goods like muffins and cookies. Little E's day care provider let me borrow her book, Quinoa 365, last year and I have been hooked ever since.
Broccoli and Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of liquid honey
pinch salt
pinch of black pepper
In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 11/3 cups water to boil. reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Transfer to large bowl and let cool. Add broccoli, cranberries and sunflower seeds to the quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat.
I made a few adjustments to make it dairy free for little E (ie. no yogurt and Hellman's Olive Oil Mayo), but it was still a hit. I will be adding this to my weekly lunch plans.
Any other great quinoa salad recipes out there?