Ancient Grain Salad with Asian Dressing

Name: Ancient Grain Salad with Asian Dressing
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100 g uncooked quinoa; 1 cucumber; 1 large carrot, peeled; 125 g edamame beans; 6 spring onions, sliced; 2 tbsp chia seeds; 2 tbsp toasted nuts - I used almonds; Dressing:; 3 tbsp peanut butter; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tsp rice wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon honey; 1 clove garlic; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/8 tsp white pepper

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Incas believed quinoa to be sacred and provided stamina to their warriors. It was known as the ‘mother of all grains’ and the ‘gold of the Incas’. Legend has it that the Incan emperor would ceremoniously break ground each year with a golden spade and plant the first quinoa seeds. The Incas used it not only as a grain but also consumed the leaves as a vegetable.

It is an Andean plant which originated in the area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. It flourishes in the most hostile conditions, surviving nightly frosts and daytime temperatures upwards of 40 degrees C in the mountainous regions where the oxygen is thin water is scarce.

When the Spanish arrived in 1526, it ceased being a staple of their diet and was replaced by cereals. Quinoa remained in obscurity until the 1970s when it was marketed as a ‘superfood’ and the FAO of the UN designated it a possible solution to world hunger due to its high nutritional value. The Peruvian government more recently have been giving incentives to farmers to increase the production.

The quinoa seed has twenty amino acids (including all nine essential amino acids) and twice the quantity of proteins than many other cereals. It boasts a wide range of vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and protein.

I've added spiralized vege and edamame beans to these nutty and ancient grains and infused with an Asian dressing - lovely on its own or with seared salmon. #GlobalApron

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

I've added spiralized vege and edamame beans to these nutty and ancient grains and infused with an Asian dressing - lovely on its own or with seared salmon. #GlobalApron

Saved

Ingredients

20 minutes

4 servings

100 guncooked quinoa
1cucumber
1large carrot, peeled
125 gedamame beans
6spring onions, sliced
2 tbspchia seeds
2 tbsptoasted nuts - I used almonds
Dressing:
3 tbsppeanut butter
1 tbspsoy sauce
1 tbspsesame oil
1 tsprice wine vinegar
1 teaspoonhoney
1 clovegarlic
1/4 tspsalt
1/8 tspwhite pepper

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Rinse the quinoa in cold water, drain and add to a pan with 350 mls cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer. White quinoa will take around 13-15 minutes to cook, red and black a little longer. The quinoa is cooked when the endosperms have popped out. Set aside to cool. Steam the edamame beans for 6 - 8 minutes.
2

Spiralize the cucumber and carrot and place in a large bowl. If you don't have a spiralizer, just chop into fine batons. Add the cooked quinoa, edamame beans and spring onions and toss to combine. Blend all the dressing ingredients with 60 mls water until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Scatter with the toasted nuts and chia seeds. Serve as is or with fillets of blackened salmon.