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Quinoa Edamame Salad with Sesame Dressing (Gluten-Free)
I need to start this post by talking about quinoa preparation. Right after I cooked this dish, my mom asked if I rinsed my quinoa. Um, no. I didn’t. She says that all of her recipes and containers of quinoa say that your should rinse your quinoa prior to cooking. News to me. But, as it turns out, she is half right. In short, the initial reason for rinsing quinoa has gone out the window due to its increasing popularity and main stream sales. In other words, the folks that put the quinoa on your shelves are rinsing it for you! How nice. Of course, I bought my quinoa from the Whole Paycheck Foods bulk bins ($2.99 on sale – holla!). It said nothing about whether or not the quinoa was pre-rinsed.
I found a great explanation about the rinsing situation at www.incaorganics.com. This is what they say:
All quinoa has a bitter-tasting coating on each seed that protects it from being eaten by birds in the field. This is called saponin and must be removed before it is cooked and eaten. When quinoa was first imported to this country from South America in the 1980′s, the saponin was not cleaned off well and it was important to wash it before cooking. Today the cleaning is more thorough either by polishing or pre-washing so that the consumer does not have to do it although many people wash it just to be sure.
There you have it.
I adapted this recipe from Self’s recipe found here. In the pictures posted, the recipe was doubled. And … This dish is gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa
- 2/3 cup shelled and cooked edamame
- 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp of low sodium soy sauce (gluten-free)
- 1/2 tsp of fresh grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp of garlic salt
Directions
1. Rinse your quinoa
2. Combine the quinoa, cucumber, and edamame
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic salt
4. toss the quinoa mixture with the dressing and serve!
Product Review: Eat Your Vegetables, the Jalapeno Ranch edition
New flash: Around lunchtime, on Fridays, at the Whole Paycheck Foods in Cherry Creek, a Costco-esque scene emerges…food samples EVERYWHERE! Yes, yes, and yes. Apparently, this is a new scene and, it will be repeating itself. But, I digress.
Whilst sampling, I came across these “chips”. They are gluten free, wheat free, cholesterol free, vegetarian, and all natural – not that I knew any of these things before popping a chip in my mouth. As soon as my taste buds registered the tasty, I then noticed all the “benefits”.
*Side note: You should know that I am not gluten-free. I like my gluten. There are times I think that I have some level of gluten intolerance but, from what I understand, most people do. Other than that, gluten and I get along. I also know that eating gluten-free “just because” isn’t necessarily a good idea. It should not be a road taken without a lot thought, research and often, medical advice. One of the things I worry about when eating gluten-free products (I’m not opposed to eating gluten-free products) is that you run the risk of eating a bunch processed stuff, chemicals, and – well, crap. Before you start freaking out…what I mean is this: there are ways of making everyday products (usually the pre-packaged variety) gluten-free by replacing the “gluten” with chemically engineered tastes (this sentence is not scientifically specific). Go take a look at some pre-packaged items in the gluten-free section. Look at the ingredients. I guarantee you will find products where half of the ingredients are things you’ve never heard of and a lot ingredients you cannot pronounce. But, being a gluten-free eater does not have to be this way. Eating a clean diet and paying attention to the contents of pre-packaged foods are steps that can enhance the benefits of gluten-free living. Just my observation.
I have a couple friends that are gluten-free due to serious health considerations. I am constantly trying to learn about their struggles and how they eat. (See friends). Plus, if these folks come over for dinner or we are at a party, I like to make sure everyone has something to eat.
ANYWAY [steps down from soapbox]
When I tasted the sample, these “chips” were crunchy and light! Plus, a full serving of veggies in every ounce – get out. Get out. Then, the vendor gave me a dollar-off coupon. That sealed the deal. Of course, by the time I got to the register, I forgot about said coupon. For Pete’s sake. I still have it, though. It expires 12/12. I’ll use it. Swear.
So, I bought the chips and got them back to the office. I have to say, they are not as crunchy as the sample. They aren’t bad, but they are not as good as the first bite. I guess that doesn’t leave you with much a conclusion, does it?
I’ll say this – they are worth a try!
