Vegetarian

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Lemon & Garlic

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<p><em>Cynthia Lair has been part of the nutrition faculty at Bastyr University since 1994. Recipe reprinted from Cynthia Lair's </em>Feeding the Whole Family: Whole Foods Recipes for Babies, Young Children and Their Parents<em> (Moon Smile Press, 1998); and </em>Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players and Parents<em>, with Scott Murdoch, PhD, RD (Moon Smile Press, 2002). Both are available from <a href="http://www.feedingfamily.com/">www.feedingfamily.com</a>.</em></p>

By Cynthia Lair

Quinoa, a unique whole grain, was the staple food of the Incas. It is rich in calcium and iron, and has 10.5 grams of protein per cup. I find myself getting very hungry for this salad.

Salad
1 cup dry quinoa
pinch sea salt
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 bunch arugula
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Dressing
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu


<p>Rinse quinoa well with warm water and drain. (Quinoa has a natural coating of saponin, the bitter taste of which repels insects and birds. Rinsing with warm water removes the saponin.) Place rinsed quinoa, salt, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Fluff into large salad bowl and allow to cool.</p> <p>Prepare vegetables and dressing. Combine garlic, lemon juice, oil, and tamari or shoyu; pour over quinoa and toss well. Wash and spin-dry arugula leaves and chop into bite-size pieces or thin strips. Add arugula, carrots, seeds, and parsley to quinoa. Toss gently. Serve at room temperature or chilled.</p><p>Makes 4 to 6 servings<br /> Preparation time: 15&ndash;20 minutes<br /> For Babies 6 Months &amp; Older: Reserve some plain cooked quinoa. Puree quinoa with water or breastmilk.</p>