QUINOA CRANBERRY & CASHEW SALAD
1 C. dry quinoa cooked
½ c. raw cashews
½ c. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Juice of ½ fresh lemon
Sea salt to taste
2 fresh mint sprigs, chopped
Add olive oil, lemon and blend. Mix in cashews and cranberries. Add mint. As always, add more or less of anything for your personal taste.
Serves 4
*To prepare quinoa for cooking.
Soak in water for 10-15 minutes, the water will be cloudy, then rinse well in a tight mesh strainer under running water. You can even use your fingers to rub the quinoa to clean it thoroughly. The coating on the quinoa is called saponin that needs to be rinsed and removed before cooking.
Most recipes call for quinoa to be cooked similar to rice, 1:2 ratio of grain to water. I have found that 1 cup of quinoa with approximate 1.25-1.3 cups of water cooks the quinoa a little crisper and less mushy. It can be cooked over the stove or in a rice cooker. Quinoa, a gluten free grain, cooks faster than rice.