This is my favorite way to eat quinoa, because it is delicious, high in fiber, nutritious and super-quick! Quinoa is a gluten-free, celiac-safe complete protein, which makes it an ideal nourishing vegetarian meal. Quinoa is an ancient Incan plant related to beet and chard. Since it’s not a grass or a grain, I guess it sort-of qualifies as “Paleo”.
Quinoa has countless health benefits: It is high in magnesium, fiber, minerals, and it acts as a natural pro-biotic to promote intestinal health. Sprouted seeds are more easily digested, so i prefer sprouted quinoa, available in most whole food groceries. It has been sprouted and dried, so it keeps indefinitely. Sprouted quinoa is quick to cook – I have to hurry up to make the rest of the salad, and we eat in 15 minutes. This recipe combines a few other ingredients such avocado, seaweed, and Vegan Cream Cheese. It’s an extremely flexible dish, so be creative to use what’s available. Enjoy! Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sprouted quinoa by TruRoots http://truroots.com/
- 1 cup filtered water or broth
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon unprocessed salt *
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, cilantro, and/or parsley
- 1 green onion, diced
- 1/2 avocado cut in cubes. Save a few slices for garnish
- 1/4 cup black olives
- 1 tablespoon Hijiki or Wakame seaweed, soaked for 5 minutes in warm filtered water
- 1/4 cup crumbled Paleo Vegan Creme Cheese (Or grass-fed goat / sheep cheese if you can tolerate this.)
Instructions
- Place truRoots sprouted quinoa into a pan with 1 cup filtered water or broth. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down very low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Set the timer, as this time goes fast.
- If you’re using seaweed, soak it in warm filtered water in a small bowl. It will expand and has a delicious flavor.
- Prepare the dressing: In a medium serving bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Add grated carrot, chopped basil, cilantro and/or parsley to the serving bowl. Add green onion and avocado chunks. Add black olives, seaweed, and Vegan Crème Cheese (or goat cheese), if using.
- Your quinoa may be finished by now. You may allow it to cool, or eat the salad warm. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well. Garnish with a few slices of avocado and serve.
- Tip: Seaweed has a delicious salty flavor, so you should adjust salt to taste. If you’re not using seaweed, you might need a few more pinches of salt.
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