A Kitchen Shared: July 2013

Anything Goes Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

For the last year or so, I have been convincing myself to start a food blog. But, being in law school does not lend itself too many opportunities for fun times (or, for that matter, free time). I needed an outlet, though. I figured that since I am currently on summer vacation, there is no better time than now to launch this blog and share my kitchen with other food lovers. I am so excited to start this new adventure and cannot wait to learn new things about cooking and creating.

For my first entry, I wanted to start off with a simple quinoa salad. This salad is so filling and perfect for anyone because you can substitute any of the ingredients for others of your choice. For the dressing, I tried to write down exact measurements for anyone who is more comfortable using them, but when it comes to cooking, I almost always eyeball my ingredients. I learned the importance of this from my mom, who only turns to measurements when baking. I love relying on my taste buds to tell me when I need to add a bit more vinegar, or cut out the salty flavor of a dish. I also often ask my mom or boyfriend to taste my food and tell me when a flavor is missing....it's a great way to share the cooking process with loved ones! I urge anyone reading this blog to not put so much weight in the measurements of a particular dish, but to learn through experience when an ingredient is lacking or which ingredients compliment each other best. This way, each dish is customized to your liking.

I love the shape of red bell peppers!

This was my first time using Trader Joe's white quinoa...it was perfect!

Anything Goes Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

Serves 6

1 cup quinoa

1 16 oz. package frozen corn (or, 15 oz. canned corn)

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 12 oz. package frozen edamame

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 scallions, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cup basil leave, packed

3 garlic cloves, mashed into a paste

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice (or, about 1 and a half lemons)

1 Tbsp. honey

4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chili pepper to taste (I love spicy foods ;-))

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. I added 2 cups of water to the 1 cup of quinoa, and boiled it. After the water finished boiling, I covered the lid of the saucepan and
allowed for the quinoa to simmer about 12-15 minutes. After cooking, drain the water.

2. Cook edamame according to package instructions. I added about 4 cups of water and a dash of salt to a saucepan and allowed the water to boil. After the water finished boiling, add the edamame and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.

3. Combine cooked quinoa, edamame, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, carrot, and garbanzo beans in bowl.

A mortar and pestle is one of my favorite kitchen tools.

4. For the dressing, I opted not to use a food processor (I hate washing that machine!). But, if you like your dressing more smooth, a food processor or blender would be great for this vinaigrette. Combine basil leave, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and chili pepper to taste.

5. Coat dressing with quinoa mixture completely. Let the salad refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes so that the yummy goodness seeps through the entire salad.