Recipe : Curried Quinoa Spring Salad
The transition from winter to spring is notoriously difficult for many people, often shown in tension headaches, heightened anxiety, mania, poor sleep, increased tension in the jaw and neck, itchy/dry eyes, joint stiffness, frustration, irritability, and worsened PMS symptoms. This recipe is a vegetable heavy, high protein meal that helps the body in its natural detoxification process. Pungent leafy greens like arugula, sharp green onion, spicy radishes and tart apple cider vinegar are balanced by the warmth of curry, the satiating fattiness of edamame and pumpkin seeds, and the sweetness of honey and raisins. This is a really nice, easy dish to make on a Saturday and have to munch on over a weekend of early spring cleaning. Bring leftovers out of the fridge for 30 minutes before eating to make digestion easier.
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa rinsed well in a fine mesh strainer
3 cups water or bone broth
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup carrots, sliced into thin coins
1/2 cup minced parsley
2 cups baby arugula (can substitute your favorite leafy green, like spinach or lettuce)
1 cup sprouts
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup sliced radish
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp curry powder, adjust more or less as you prefer
coarse sea salt
Instructions
1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, return to a boil, then reduce heat and to a simmer and cover.
2. Cook quinoa until almost all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes, then add the edamame and carrots for the final 3-4 minutes until the carrots are soft-crisp. Stir, remove from the heat, and keep covered.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the quinoa/edamame with the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and curry powder. Pour dressing over salad, toss, add salt, and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Optionally, top with tofu, chicken or turkey.