Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad

 

 A cold snap for AZ with several nights in a row below 30, which by MN comparison is not terrible-terrible, but for here, yes indeed is cold.  You know it's cold when the small pond in the backyard freezes, and birds are skating across ice, perplexed, wondering where the water went for drinks. Our plants are bundled up for the next few days. 

Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad

Cook's Notes:.  A Thai-flavored salad recipe that's healthy, vegan, GF, and keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days. Creamy peanut dressing with fresh veggies and quinoa adds a lot of deliciousness to this salad. The recipe is adapted from cookieandkate.com and serves four. The ingredients listed for the salad can be increased or decreased depending on how many servings you need.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used half red and half white)
• 1/2 bag of chopped Asian Salad Mix found in produce (save dressing from the bag for another meal)
• Snow peas, diced diagonally 1 cup
• Thinly sliced cucumbers, 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• Mini sweet red and yellow peppers diced 1 cup
• Red onion, diced 1/3 cup
• Peanuts, coarsely chopped for topping

Peanut Dressing Ingredients:

Cook's Notes: The dressing is enough for 3 salads. It's a thick dressing, so use it immediately rather than refrigerating it. Creamy peanut butter works better as crunchy peanut butter gives it a different texture. Thai Peanut Dressing is just amazing, with a wonderful blend of sweetness, saltiness, and sourness; red pepper flakes add a bit of heat.

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice from one lime
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled, minced about 1 tablespoon or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Salad Directions:

• In a medium-sized pot, combine rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed all the water. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and add the cooled quinoa.

Dressing Directions:

• In a blender, add all ingredients and mix until smooth. If the dressing gets too thick, add a little water.