Have I talked about how much I love America’s Test Kitchen, oh only everyday of my life, okay we are good then. For real though, I have never gotten so much use out of one cookbook, not to mention I have yet to cook anything from it that I didn’t adore. We can move on, but I’m serious about this book, no I’m not getting paid to say that (but if you are out there reading this ATK, lets make it happen!).

Have we talked about quinoa? The answer is yes, if you don’t remember shame. If you still haven’t tried it, double shame. No worries though, this is the prefect recipe to start or continue you’re super grain journey. Quinoa is a funny little grain loaded with complete proteins and amino acids. It’s great for you, easy to cook, and very adaptable. A lot of quinoa is sold pre-washed, if it isn’t specified as so rinse it to avoid an unpleasant taste.

I love this recipe because it combines great for you ingredients and it tastes amazing. Not to mention, it is so easy to make and can be made in advance. It would be great as a side at your next bbq or alongside a fancy meal. It’s cool, crunchy, and fresh. What’s not to love?

I don’t know much about leading a gluten-free lifestyle, but I do know quinoa is popular in GF cooking. And if I’m not mistaken, I believe everything in this recipe is already gluten-free, if not it could be easily adapted to be so. Let me know my GF readers, is this recipe gluten-free approved or would we need to make some small adjustments to make it so?

Quinoa Salad with Red Pepper and Cilantro  (Print Me)

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and dried on a towel if not pre-rinsed)
1½ cups water
Salt and pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped fine
1/2 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced (for spicier salad leave in the seeds)
2 Tbsp minced red onion
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, toast the quinoa. Stir it often, until it’s lightly toasted and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until quinoa has absorbed most of the water and is nearly tender, about 12 minutes. In a rimmed baking sheet, spread the quinoa out and set aside until tender and cool, about 20 minutes.

When cooled, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Stir in the bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and cilantro.  In a separate bowl, whisk the lime juice, oil, mustard, garlic and cumin, then pour it over the quinoa tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Prepared salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days; season with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste before serving.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Nutrition* (per 3/4 cup serving): 200 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram sat fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 grams carbs, 6 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, 220 mg sodium
*All nutrition information is approximate