Recipe(tried): Quinoa Salad and Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Spring Peas and Asparagus

For a GREAT dish, easy to make, different and a little unusual, but can be made ahead of time, very filling, healthy, lots of protein etc. try Quinoa salad. There are tons of recipes on the internet, but I have tried this one and it was VERY good!

QUINOA SALAD
Source: Earthy Family

4 cups cooked quinoa (cook in ratio of 1 part quinoa: 2 parts water, 2 cups raw will yield about the right amount)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Toss the jalapeno pepper, tomato, cucumber and mint with cooled quinoa. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper until creamy. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss again. Serve with a flourish.

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And this one with pre-roasted chicken from Costco, Sams or the grocery store is also very good.

QUINOA PRIMAVERA WITH CHICKEN, SPRING PEAS AND ASPARAGUS
Source: Whole Foods Market
Serves 4, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Roasted or rotisserie chicken works perfectly in this recipe. Any leftover quinoa primavera can be chilled and tossed with vinaigrette to make a lively salad.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, woody ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup fresh peas or frozen petite peas, thawed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup thinly sliced baby spinach leaves
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and asparagus. Cook, stirring often, until asparagus is tender and bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add garlic and peas and continue cooking for another minute.

Stir in chicken and cooked quinoa. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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Before you make the salad you need to take 1 cup of quinoa and boil it with 2 cups of water. THOROUGHLY RINSE THE QUINOA OR SOAK IT AND RINSE 3 TIMES BEFORE COOKING. This prepares it to cook and removes something on the seed for cooking. When it comes to the boil simmer it for 10 - 15 minutes. For a crunchier texture choose the shorter time. If you prefer a soft fluffy look and feel then cook it for up to 15 minutes. Then leave to cool for 1/2 an hour.

The recipes above fed me and my friends (about 5-8), you may want to make it once and judge the amount accordingly. AS an aside, I can't begin to tell you the health benefits of Quinoa. Hope this helps!