Warm Quinoa Salad

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For some reason, I have only craved food that I'm not really supposed to eat throughout my pregnancy. I crave raw oysters and paté (I mean it's holiday season how can I not??) which are on the "do not eat" list and carbs and lots of sugar which are on the "should limit" list.  So I really needed to come up with meals that were nutritious, filling, and super satisfying. And then I remembered this dish my dear friend served one night: the warm quinoa salad. It has all my favorite foods and is packed with protein and healthy fats making it the perfect meal for an expecting mom. And for all those indulging in holiday eats, this is a nice way to balance it out without feeling like you're giving up a good meal.

warm-quinoa-salad-ingredients

The dish is so simple to make that I don't really have step-by-step instructions. The one thing I recommend is getting frozen shucked edamame so you don't have to spend time popping the pods. It's a huge time saver. Trust me. Boil those babies as recommended on the packaging (probably just a couple minutes in boiling salt water since they're already pre-cooked), dice up some avocado and cucumber and cook the quinoa with chicken broth (this bit is key, don't use water and I prefer full strength sodium for this dish). Cut up some roasted seaweed (you can use either the Japanese or Korean kind: Korean used here since it's a bit more flavorful) and you're ready to assemble. I used a dainty amount of seaweed for the picture but let's be real, when I mix it all together to eat I pour in the rest cause I love how the seaweed almost tricks you into thinking you're eating sushi.

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Enjoy!

Warm Quinoa Salad
 
Author: Yukari
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup edamame
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 Persian cucumber (or equivalent amount in other varieties)
  • 2 packets Korean seaweed or 2 sheets Japanese seaweed
Instructions
  1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the quinoa. Reduce to simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes until tender and all liquid has been absorbed
  2. Boil edamame for 1-2 minutes in salted water and drain
  3. Small dice avocado and cucumber
  4. Cut up the seaweed with scissors (my preferred method) or just tear with hands
  5. Assemble the bowl and enjoy!
 


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