This dish is my version of comfort food especially in the cooler days of fall. It’s also one of our packed lunch options for work. It has that perfect mix of protein, complex carbs, the crunchiness of the snap peas and some tartness from the tomatoes and the dressing. It definitely helps fuel us on our busy work days.
I think quinoa no longer needs much of an introduction these days. It seems like it has already been adapted by a lot of people into their day to day meals. As I went through my journey of finding the right foods to eat because of my digestion issues, this is one of the healthy whole grains (or pseudo grain like how others call it) that I can handle without any reactions. And so for the last 2 years, I have experimented with so many different ways of preparing it and this is one of my favourites.
Cooking quinoa: 1 cup of dry quinoa will yield approximately 3 cups cooked quinoa.
Rinse the quinoa well under cold water by using a wire sieve and drain. Put the rinsed quinoa into a saucepan and add cold water. The quinoa to water ratio is one part quinoa to 2 parts water. Cover and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, and open the lid to prevent boiling over. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and the lid can be put back once the water has been absorbed. The quinoa becomes a little transparent when it’s cooked, except for a little spiral sprout.
Quinoa With Snap Peas, Black Beans and Chickpeas
Ingredients:
1 c. dry quinoa (equal parts of white and red quinoa was used)
2 c. water
1 c. cooked chickpeas
1 c. cooked black beans
3 c. snap peas
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size
1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced
1/3 c. coriander leaves chopped finely
Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. roasted sesame seed oil
2 Tbsp. braggs liquid aminos
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
Method:
1. Wash and cook the quinoa by following the steps above.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, wash the the snap peas and trim the hard ends. Boil water in a pot and blanch the snap peas for 1 minute and drain through a wire sieve. Make sure not to leave it too long as they will end up mushy. Set aside to cool.
3. In a salad or mixing bowl, mix the quinoa, chickpeas and black beans. Add the cooled snap peas.
4. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl including the red onions and half of the coriander leaves and stir to incorporate. Leave for about 2 minutes just to soften the red onions.
5. Pour the salad dressing into the quinoa mixture and toss. Adjust the taste if necessary but the amount of the dressing is just perfect for the whole dish. Garnish with the rest of the coriander leaves. Enjoy!
Note: The snap peas can change colour if the dressing is left too long so it’s a good idea to add them just a few minutes before serving the salad.