The Most Genius Red Quinoa Salad Ever

Okay.  I promised myself and a few select others who know about this blog that my second entry would be the amazing, delightful, whimsical in color, and generally rocking Rainbow Salad, which I was exposed to in the HEATHROW AIRPORT of all places, and over which I was swooning for several weeks afterward.

However, I must digress now as I am equally and more recently obsessed with my New Fave (of One Entire Week): the Red Quinoa Salad with Various Elements, a recipe which I have basically adapted from a dish I tasted last week at a friend’s birthday party.

The girl whose recipe this REALLY is (more or less) told me when I tasted and subsequently freaked out over her genius red quinoa creation that she “threw together whatever she had” to make this delectable dish.  But I know better than to believe this false modesty.  I KNOW she is clearly a culinary genius, with great talent that is under served by her poor PR skills and nonexistent marketing strategy.  Clearly.  THIS SALAD IS KILLER.  I made it last night and died again over my own recreation, and yet can imagine a host of variations in theme and ingredients.  And the thing that kills me about loving it to death the way I do is that I have never gotten even remotely excited about quinoa.  Ever.

So, here it is, beautiful and in all its glory (PS: in case you can’t tell by its name, this recipe calls for red quinoa.  Get some.  It’s harder to find and more expensive than the regular but it’s better. That’s all I can say about that.):

• 1 cup red quinoa
• 1/3 cup pickled red onions (Lord, don’t even get me started on my new “dream of the 1890’s” pastime of pickling.  I clearly have a major vinegar fetish because I am pickling everything lately.  And why not?  It’s delish, vegetable-based, no-carb, and mostly non-fattening.  Dude, if it’s bad for you, please nobody tell me.  I will list some easy pickling directions in another entry.  Pickle everything your heart desires and keep it on hand, and you won’t be sorry.)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 portobella mushrooms, large-diced
• 2 bunches greens, cut into wide strips and blanched in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, tops (kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, beet greens, anything.  I used a mix that my CSA box calls “braising greens,” but whatever hearty greens you like will work.  You could even do spinach but I would leave it raw.)
• ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds (culinary genius girl had this in her dish.  I ended up skipping it, but do whatever feels right for you).

Preheat oven to 450.

Heat a pot of salted water to blanch your greens.

Cook the red quinoa by adding it to a pot with 1¼ cup water, bit of salt and a drizzle of oil.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Boil rapidly for 30 seconds, then turn down to a simmer and cook about 12-14 minutes or until all the water is gone.  Fluff.  Cover and let rest about 5 minutes.

While your quinoa is cooking, blanch your greens, roast your tomatoes and saute your mushrooms, thusly:

To roast your cherry tomatoes, half them and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Throw, cut side up, on a cookie sheet.  Roast in your oven for 20 mins.  (Don’t over roast or they will turn to mush.)

Heat a tbsp butter and tbsp olive oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat until very hot.  Lay your mushrooms in a single layer so they'll brown, and add salt, pepper and dash of red pepper flakes.  Saute until nicely browned, flip, and brown reverse side.  Turn heat down to medium low, add splash of wine, deglaze the pan and let the mushrooms simmer gently in wine until all liquid is soaked up.  (You could do this a couple of times for kicks and flavor if you wanted to.)

Throw your amazing red quinoa in a serving bowl and top with all the other ingredients, and just a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar (or a balsamic reduction)*. Mix gently but thoroughly.  Taste and test for seasonings, add more salt, pepper or red pepper flakes to your liking.

Dig.

 
*This is one of my fave kind of recipes where all of the elements can also be assembled in advance, separately, and combined whenever.  It also works beautifully a day or two later.