Quinoa Salad with Mango, Snap Peas, Ginger & Lime

By diverlinda

Found this on Alexandra Cooks and LOVE this recipe! I made a few alterations to the recipe such as doubling the quinoa and snap peas but keeping other ingredients such as onions and oil consistent to original recipe. I thought that was just right for my taste. It was light and fresh and delicious. Served this with a chopped salad and some grilled cilantro lime shrimp.

Note: An essential piece of equipment for cooking quinoa is a fine-meshed sieve. You need this piece of gear for both rinsing the quinoa before you cook it, and for draining the quinoa after you cook it.

Ingredients

• 2 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa, Alter Eco brand) -
• 2 cup snap peas, stem removed
• 1/2 cup cashews, (I used roasted unsalted cashews)
• 4 to 5 scallions or spring onions, rinsed and trimmed
• 2 mangoes, peeled
• 1-2 serrano chilies (or Thai bird chilies or jalapenos — whatever hot chilies you like best)
• an inch-long (or slightly bigger) knob of ginger, peeled (I didn't use the ginger but I'm sure it would be good with it)
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 limes, juiced ( I like it "limey" so I used 4 small limes - depends on your taste and how juicy the limes are)

Details

Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from flickr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse under cold water. When the water comes to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain in a fine-meshed sieve and run under cold water until cool. Set aside to dry.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients: Slice the snap peas on a bias and set aside. Roughly chop the cashews. Slice the scallions (white and light green portions) thinly. Slice down around the pit of the mango to remove, then dice the flesh. Remove the seeds from the chilies, then finely dice. Grate the ginger on a box grater or finely dice with a knife or purée in a food processor. You need about a tablespoon (or more or less to taste) of minced ginger flesh/juice.

3. Place the drained and dried quinoa into a large mixing bowl. Season all over with salt (I used one teaspoon kosher salt to start) and pepper to taste. Add the snap peas, cashews, scallions, chilies, mangoes (or not if you have time to let the salad marinate in the fridge for a bit), minced ginger, olive oil and about two tablespoons of lime juice to the bowl. Toss and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary. I added two more tablespoons of lime juice and a pinch more salt. Let salad marinate in the fridge for an hour (if you have the time). Fold in mangoes just before serving.