3 Recipes On Quinoa Salad - Part I

Many of you might have heard about this super-grains known as Quinoa(Keen-wah) which is consider as the "Mother of All Grains". According to the information that I Google online, quinoa is an easily digested grains with good source of fiber and it's also gluten-free too.

For the past few months I have being including some organic "quinoa" into our daily meals for at least 2 - 3 times a week on top of our usual white/brown rice. And in this post you can also take on reference how I make used of the red and white quinoa in our dishes together with other ingredients.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN QUINOA SALAD

Moroccan seasoning has an exotic flavour and it is usually used to marinade lamb, chicken or beef which is ideal for grilling, barbecuing or pan frying. You can easily grab a bottle of this Moroccan Spice (shown in the ingredients photo below) at your local supermarkets or you can mix your own using a few spices shown below too.



This Moroccan Chicken Quinoa Salad has a unique taste which is more on the "sweet' side because of the roasted pumpkin and dried apricot. But it's overall combination was fabulous with a few layers of textures like the nutty red quinoa, walnuts, chicken and hint of citrus fragrance too.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
150g Chicken Breast Fillet, cut into cubes
120g Pumpkin, skin removed cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Moroccan Seasoning
1/2 Cup Uncooked Red Quinoa, rinse and drained
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
1/2 Lemon, juiced
Some Died Apricot, sliced
Handful of Walnuts, lightly toasted
1/4 Cup Fresh Coriander Leaves

To Mix Your Own Moroccan Spice:
~ Combine 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon mild paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt in a bowl.

Method:
1. Toss pumpkin cubes with olive oil together with some salt and pepper in a bowl. Transfer to baking tray and bake in a preheated 200°C (degree celsius) oven for 15 minutes or until golden and tender.

2. Meanwhile place rinse quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it)

3. In another pan, cook seasoned chicken (season chicken with Moroccan Spiced, 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt and pepper for at least 10 minutes) cubes with 1 teaspoon of olive oil till browned and cook through.

4. Place cooked quinoa in a heat proof bowl, fluff it with lemon juice.

5. Toss in chicken and pumpkin cubes, walnuts, apricot and lemon rinds mix well with salt and pepper, top with some coriander leaves and serve warm.

QUINOA SALAD

This can be a quick filling lunch with rainbow ingredients like edamame, sweetcorn, mushroom, cherry tomato, dried figs and etc. And to spice it with some Asian flavour, I toss in a small chilli (sliced) too! It is pretty easier to prepare and you can even cook it at night, cool and keep it in the fridge then packed it as lunch on the next day by reheating it in the microwave oven.

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Quinoa, rinse and drained
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Sweetcorn Kernels,
1/4 Cup Edamame / Green Peas
6 Medium Brown Mushrooms, quarters
1 Small Red Chilli (optional), thinly sliced
2-3 Organic Dried Figs, sliced
Some Cherry Tomato, halved
Some Roasted Cashew Nuts, optional

If you cannot view the video above, click on my Instagram link here.

Method:-
1. Cook quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it)

2. While cooking the quinoa, saute mushroom in a small pan with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil until soften, add in sweetcorn, edamame and chilli and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Season the mixture with some salt and pepper, toss in cooked quinoa give it a quick stir till combined.

4. Turn off the heat, toss in figs, cherry tomato, cashew nuts and mix well.

5. Divide quinoa salad into plates and serve warm.

BAKED SALMON WITH TEA LEAVES
SERVED WITH QUINOA SALAD

I get this inspiration of Baked Salmon With Tea Leaves from some "tea-smoked" dishes like smoked duck, fish and etc. Basically my method is quite straight forward by using tea leaves from flavoured teabags such as "citrus flavour" to infuse the fish with a refreshing taste and citrus fragrance. As for the baked tea leaves on top, you can either eat it together with the fish or you can scrap it on the side. 

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 10 minutes  | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
150g (x2) Salmon Fillet
2 Lipton Black Tea Citrus Teabags
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Quinoa
3/4 Cup Water / Chicken Broth
6 Medium Brown Mushrooms, quarters
1 Steamed Sweet Potato (optional), cut into cubes
Some Cherry Tomato, halved
1 Small Japanese Cucumber, skin removed and cubed

Method:
1. Lightly coat salmon fillets with some olive oil and season it with some sea salt flake and ground black pepper. Place on baking paper over a baking dish/tray.

2. Scatter tea leaves evenly on top of the prepared salmon fillets and baked uncovered in a preheated 200°C (degree celsius) oven for 8 - 10 minutes (cooking time might varies depend on the thickness of the fillet) or oven toaster for about 15 minutes. (When done, the salmon will be opaque with milky-white juices.)

3. While waiting for the salmon, cook quinoa in a pot with 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bring it to boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer with lid on for 10 minutes or till water absorbed. (click here to learn more about quinoa and how to cook and store it)

4. Saute mushroom in a small pan with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil until soften stir in cooked quinoa and give it a quick toss for a few seconds.

5. Turn off the heat, toss in sweet potato, cherry tomato and cucumber. Mix well and divide onto serving plates. Top with baked salmon and serve warm.

Overall this was a lovely dish which goes well with the mushroom and sweet potato quinoa salad. For experiment wise, you can try different types of flavoured teabags such as earl grey, floral tea, mint and etc which pairs well with salmon fish. But for me, I still prefer to use citrus flavoured tea.

In Part II of the "quinoa recipes" post, I will be sharing a quick Mushroom Quinoa Risotto dish which used white wine and brown mushrooms. So stay tune for that if you love these ingredients.