Aztecan Quinoa Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Cook beets in large saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain. Cool. Peel beets. Cut beets into thin wedges. Place in medium bowl.
• Whisk vinegar, shallots and fennel seeds in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1/4 cup vinaigrette over beets; toss to coat.
• Cook quinoa in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Place quinoa in large bowl. Add cheese, fennel and arugula and mix gently. Add remaining dressing and toss to coat. Transfer salad to large bowl. Arrange beets atop salad.

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: Combine the vinegar, honey and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few times to incorporate.
• For the quinoa salad: Bring the salted water or vegetable stock to a boil and add the thyme. Stir in the quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Preheat the grill. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on all sides until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl, fold in the asparagus, olives, goat cheese, basil and parsley. Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the salad; don't make it too wet. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette.

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.
• When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve.

Steps:

• Mix quinoa, pinto beans, kidney beans, corn, red onion, brown rice, red bell pepper, and cilantro together in a glass or plastic container with a lid.
• Whisk olive oil, vinegar, chili powder, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Cover bowl with a lid and refrigerate until flavors blend, at least 2 hours. Stir again before serving.

Steps:

• For the dressing: Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• For the salad: Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Place the cranberries in a small bowl. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the boiling water over the cranberries to rehydrate. Pour the quinoa into the pot with the remaining boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the quinoa absorbs the water, 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
• Drain the cranberries and scatter them over the quinoa. Add the scallions, almonds and vinaigrette, and fold into the salad until evenly distributed. Add the mint and serve, or chill overnight if desired.