Gluten Free Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

May 31, 2013 Heidi Pyper

You know the way Laura and Ceri feel about pancakes? Well, that’s how I feel about quinoa salad. I just love the stuff, in no small part because the work you do will last a couple of days in the fridge. You simply can not say that about all salads. I’m imaging a very busy summer at the cottage with lots of company in which I make a few huge salads, (coleslaw, potato, quinoa) and then all I’ll have to do for the next three days is toss up some greens and throw something on the bbq. This my friends, is a good plan. A good gluten free plan.

This is a new recipe for me, so before sharing it with you, I tested it out on my book club. And my book club is a good place to trot out a new dish as we are more of a wine and food club…or maybe that’s just me. Anyways, everyone brings a dish and then we do our darnedest to eat everything, loosely discuss some issues of theme, plot and characterization before diving right in and casting the movie.

So here it is, my latest and greatest from the quinoa files; book club approved. Follow all of my steps except for the part where I lose the tip of my thumb to my mandolin.

Gluten Free Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 cup quinoa (uncooked) follow cooking instructions on package.
5 medium beets chopped into bite sized pieces
4 - 5 cups brussels sprouts
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 big handfuls of spinach (or kale)
1 - 2 TBSP olive oil
For the Vinaigrette:
5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 heaping TBSP dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare one cup of quinoa according to instructions. I always rinse and soak quinoa before cooking.

While the oven is heating up and the quinoa is cooking, wash, peel and chop up the beets.

Toss with half the olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet and put into the hot oven for about 40 minutes or until tender.

Remove a generous handful of brussels sprouts and set aside.

Wash, trim and halve the rest of the brussels sprouts toss with olive oil and spread on a cooking sheet and place in the hot oven for 20 minutes. (It is easier to keep track of things if you put the brussels sprouts in the oven once the beets have been in for 20 minutes)

While the beets and brussels sprout halves are cooking take the remaining brussels sprouts, wash, trim the ends and slice them as finely as you can.

You want it to look slaw like or shredded.

Toss with a little bit of olive oil and salt and spread them out on a cooking sheet and set aside.

While the vegetables are finishing up in the oven, whip up the salad dressing and toast your pine nuts.

Drizzle a 1/2 tsp of olive oil in a pan and add the pine nuts.

Watch your pine nuts carefully they burn quickly.

Swish them around in the pan and as soon as you see browning remove from heat, about 3 minutes.

Once the beets and brussels sprouts are done place shredded brussels sprouts in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes.

The shredded brussels sprouts will crisp up beautifully and make a nice garnish to the salad.

Once cooked remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to cool and crisp up.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, add pine nuts, beets, brussels sprout halves, and the uncooked spinach and toss with vinaigrette and garnish with crispy shredded brussels sprouts.

Sweet Potato Chronicles

The salad is delicious both warm and cold. And if you’re feeling fancy you can also do up some crispy prosciutto.

Place 3 or 4 slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and place in the hot oven at the same time as the shredded brussels sprouts and keep close watch also about 15 minutes. You can tell that they are ready to be removed from the oven when fat has turned brown. Remove from the oven even if it doesn’t look crisp. It will crisp up as it cools.