Thai Quinoa Salad

I have read that quinoa is "the super grain of the future" and one of the world's healthiest foods.  It has so many health benefits, including being high in protein and containing almost twice as much fiber as other grains.  It also has vital nutrients like iron, magnesium, lysine, B2, and manganese.  And do you know the greatest part about quinoa?  It can actually taste really, really good.  

Tonight we had a thai quinoa salad that I adapted from a recipe at www.ambitiouskitchen.com.  It has crunchy vegetables with a touch of tang from the lime juice all bathed in a creamy "peanut" sauce.  

Several months ago, Jack and I embarked on a paleo journey, and I learned a lot of healthy food substitutions in the process.  One of those substitutions is Sunbutter.  I use it to replace peanut butter in a lot of my recipes.  Peanut butter is not necessarily bad for you, but the “paleonistas” would argue that seeds are better for you than legumes (peanuts).  Sunflower seed butter contains 1/3 less saturated fat than peanut butter, has double the fiber, and the same amount of protein.
 The second substitute I use often is coconut aminos to replace soy sauce.  Coconut aminos is a soy-free sauce made with nutrient-dense coconut 'sap' offering 17 naturally occurring amino acids, and it tastes surprisingly similar to soy sauce.  Paleonistas would also not agree with eating the quinoa in the first place, so maybe using Sunbutter and coconut aminos is a moot point anyways.  Oh well.  I tried.  This recipe could absolutely be made with peanut butter and soy sauce, and it would be just as tasty.   I served the quinoa salad with Asian-marinated pork tenderloin.  Not bad for a weeknight dinner.  And the quinoa recipe leaves a lot of leftovers that make for a great lunch to take to work!

 

Thai Quinoa Salad You will need:
For the Salad:
¾ cup uncooked quinoa (I used tri-color quinoa)1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage¼ red onion, diced1 ½ cups shredded carrots¾ cup chopped cilantro½ cup diced green onions1 cup cashew halves1 cup edamameFresh lime squeezed at the last minute, for a bit of tang

For the dressing:¼ cup Sunbutter1 tablespoon agave nectar1 tablespoon ground ginger3 tablespoon coconut aminos1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar2 teaspoons sesame oil2 teaspoon olive oilJuice of 1 lime How to make it:Cook quinoa according to package directions.


To make the dressing: Add Sunbutter and agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, coconut aminos, vinegar, both oils, and lime juice and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, stir in a teaspoon or two of olive oil or water.

To make the salad: Combine the onion, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, cashews, edamame, and green onions in a large bowl.  Add in the quinoa and poor dressing over the salad.  Mix until well incorporated.  Garnish with extra cashews and green onions. Can be served either warm or at room temperature.