Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad


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You need to be careful randomly pinning (and trying!) recipes from Pinterest. You really never know what you’re gonna get. I’ve pinned some pretty pictures only to open the site and find a mess of a recipe. Poor helpless souls in the pinterest cooking world….God speed.

BUT, have no fear, this recipe is great! I’ve made a ton of Quinoa salads and this one is pretty different and one of my favorites. The addition of the canned chopped green chilis adds tons of flavor with literally zero heat. The fresh cilantro is balanced by the lime juice and pops of crunchy pepitas. You know that ‘pepita’ is just a fancy way of saying ‘pumpkin seed’ right? Well it is. But doesn’t it just sound fancier?…say it again….pepita 😉

Oh yeah, one of the best things about this recipe is that it keeps in the fridge AMAZINGLY. There is no oil added to the dressing at all so the ingredients stay fresh and crisp.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad

(from fitnessmagazine.com) (serves 6)

1 cup Quinoa, rinsed well

2 tsp canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can diced green chilis

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup petitas, toasted

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

1. In a medium pot heat the oil. Add in the onion. Saute for 3 minutes until it starts to soften.

2. Add the chilis and garlic to the pan. Saute 1 minute.

3. Add Quinoa and broth to the pan. Give it a good stir. Put the lid on, bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.

4. Fluff with a fork and pour into a bowl. Let cool a few minutes.

5. Add pepitas, cilantro, green onions, lime juice and some salt and pepper. Give it a good stir. Taste it and see if it needs more lime or salt.

Yum!

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