Best Quinoa Salad With Roasted Carrots Frizzled Leeks Recipes

QUINOA SALAD

Quinoa Salad image

Quinoa, a "new" ingredient that has been around for thousands of years, is a tiny, high-protein grain from South America. It's nicknamed the "wonder grain" because it cooks more quickly than rice, is virtually foolproof, and is lighter and more nutritious than other grains.

Provided by Food Network

Categories side-dish

Time 40m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

12 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
5 pickling cucumbers, peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced
1 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 bunches mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 heads endive, trimmed and separated into individual spears
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced, for garnish

Steps:

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.
When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 319, Fat 20 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Cholesterol 0 milligrams, Sodium 467 milligrams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 7 grams, Sugar 4 grams

ROASTED CARROTS AND RED QUINOA

Roasted Carrots and Red Quinoa image

Shiro miso, a Japanese soybean-rice paste, imparts a salty-sweet note to this substantial salad.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Salad Recipes

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
3 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon shiro miso
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, onion, thyme, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once, until tender, about 40 minutes.
In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until tender, 16 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; top with vegetables. In another bowl, whisk together miso, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Drizzle over salad; toss.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 345 g, Fat 14 g, Fiber 16 g, Protein 9 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sodium 310 g

FRIZZLED LEEKS

Frizzled Leeks image

Provided by Emily Weinstein

Categories easy, quick, condiments

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 2

Ingredients

White and pale green parts of 1/2 pound of leeks (2 medium), cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Steps:

Cut leeks lengthwise into thin strips. Wash leeks and drain. Dry well between layers of paper towels.
In a saucepan at least 3 ½ inches deep, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees. Working in very small batches fry leeks (oil will bubble up quite high) until golden, about 10-15 seconds, transferring with a slotted spoon to paper towels to dry. Season leeks with salt.
Leeks may be fried a day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Serve on top of soup.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 15, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 3 grams, Fat 0 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 0 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 4 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams