asparagus + red quinoa salad // meyer lemon dressing

i bought some red quinoa a while back- i had never cooked with quinoa before and being that it is a complete protein i figured i would give it a whirl. i just wasn't sure what to do with it. the most adventurous i got was to add a 1/2 a cup to some basmati rice that i was cooking for a weeknight curry. then walks in asparagus- a favorite springtime favorite of mine that i look forward to every year. i am even attempting to grow some this year- the starter plant went into the earth last fall- so we will wait and see if anything decides to sprout up this spring. sorry a little off topic, anyways in walks asparagus and i immediately knew what was going in my quinoa.

asparagus, meyer lemon, shallot, baby bella; they seem to shout spring right at you- toss in a bit of sunny yellow pepper and you are on your way to a feel good salad to chase away the winter blahs

meyer lemon. good olive oil, a bit of sugar, fresh basil, a little dijon - this makes more than you need for the recipe; tastes great with roasted potato wedges.

brown em' up - quick cooking, no soggy veggies allowed

toss with the red quinoa and dressing and serve warm or at room temp- i did sneak a bit the day after and it tastes pretty good cold too, justin preferred his warm

asparagus & red quinoa salad with meyer lemon dressing

serves 2 for a light dinner/lunch or 4 as a side

you will need:

for the dressing:

• 2 meyer lemons- juiced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1 small shallot diced
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 basil leaves- torn

assembly:

• layer all ingredients in a jar, seal and shake until combined

store in fridge up to a week

for the quinoa salad:

• 1/2 cup red quinoa- rinsed well
• 1 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms- sliced
• 12 asparagus stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup diced yellow pepper
• squeeze of lemon juice
• coconut oil

assembly:

• bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add quinoa. reduce to a low boil/simmer and cook 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed. note: you can tell when quinoa is done when the bran, the outer ring is separating.
• heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. add mushrooms and season with salt; cook until golden brown on both sides
• add pepper and asparagus and cook for 5 minutes until firm to the bite
• remove from heat
• toss with quinoa and a 1/4 cup of the meyer lemon dressing
• garnish with toasted pignolias or lemon wedges

best served warm or at room temperature

enjoy!

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