Addictive Carrot-Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Description
A few weeks ago, after I bemoaned feeling uninspired by the current between-season vegetables, one of you told me I would love the Adventure Bowl at Life Alive, a small-chain of organic cafés in the Boston area. I looked at the menu online and immediately thought of my friend Gena and her book, Power Plates, which is filled with similar* fare: plates and bowls of vegetables, grains, beans, pulses, nuts, spices and herbs, often dressed in some sort of bright, tangy sauce.
Ingreadient :
- 1/2 cup quinoa, I like red for color, optional, see notes above
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini
- 1–2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1.5 lbs. carrots, scrubbed well, ends trimmed, peeled if very dirty (about a pound post trimming)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 2/3 cup pine nuts or other nut, optional
- 1 cup finely minced parsley, plus more to taste
Direction :
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Add the quinoa and cook for 10-12 minutes or until you see the white tail begin to pop from the kernels. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste. I like to add another teaspoon of maple syrup and more salt to taste. Set aside.
- If your carrots are especially dirty, peel them. Otherwise, simply wash them. Trim the ends. Send them down the chute of your food processor fitted with the shredder attachment. Transfer to a large bowl. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and toss. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat watching closely the entire time. Stir frequently. When the nuts are toasty, remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the quinoa, pine nuts, and parsley to the bowl with the carrots. Add the dressing. Toss to coat. It may be easiest to toss with your hands. Taste. Adjust as needed with more salt or lemon. Serve immediately or pack into containers and stash in the fridge.
