Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Sesame-Citrus Dressing (using cucumber, peppers, and cilantro)

QUINOA SALAD

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small stalk celery, diced
1 small green pepper, trimmed and diced
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (or to taste)
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
FOR THE SESAME-CITRUS DRESSING:
1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper

Bring water to boil and add quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let stand covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, celery, green and jalapeno peppers, and cilantro to quinoa. Toss gently to blend.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl and stir to blend thoroughly. Pour onto quinoa-vegetable mix and toss gently until ingredients are coated with dressing and well blended.

Notes:
The ancient Incas called quinoa (KEEN-wah) "the mother grain"-perhaps because they sensed it contained more protein than any other grain. Speck- sized and bead shaped, ivory-colored quinoa cooks like rice (but in half the time) and expands to 4 times its original volume. Comparable to couscous in flavor, quinoa is terrific as part of a main dish, side dish, soups, puddings, and salads. Begin with vegetable stock cooked with added vegetables for a tasty and hearty light lunch.

Servings: 4
Adapted from source: 101 vegetarian recipes by Corinne T. Netzer