One of my other passions, beside food and cooking, is travel. This Wanderlust Quinoa Salad is perfect for travel. It is one of those easy and quick-to-prepare meals and a whole nutritious meal in one bowl. I love preparing this salad for when I travel – you see I am gluten intolerant and cannot stand airplane food. So, this salad is one of the dishes I prepare before I travel and take with me on the plane.
Contrary to popular beliefs, yes, you can take food with you on a plane, as long as there are no liquids over the restricted amount (check with your airline for the correct amounts). Just think salads and meals that are filling, packed full of good carbs and protein, vegies, seeds, nuts and fruit and you are set. One note of caution: just pack enough food for the trip so you can eat it all during your flight, otherwise you will have to throw away the food you have left due to quarantine conditions of the country you are travelling to.
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This Wanderlust Quinoa Salad is great. It has all the protein, good carbs, essential fats, minerals and vitamins to keep you satisfied and full. There is no need to warm it up, which is ideal for travelling, work, picnics and barbecues. If you feel like it, you can also add extra meat protein. You can have it as a meal on its own or serve it as a side dish with meat or fish.
Quinoa has become very popular in recent years as more people have become health conscious and mindful of how and what they are eating. Healthfood stores and hippy cafes were the first to explore its magical powers, but now quinoa has become a staple food in many homes due to its versatility and ease of preparation.
Quinoa is extremely nutritious, is gluten free and can be used as a substitute for rice, in casseroles, soups and also served as salads. It is high in protein, has essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron, not to mention the eight essential amino acids required for good health and repair. Many people refer to quinoa as a whole grain, but that is not actually true. Quinoa is a seed that comes from a species of goosefoot plants, and therefore is paleo friendly.
So, for all of you people that suffer from wanderlust, here is an awesome salad to accompany you on your chosen travels!
The Wanderlust Quinoa Salad
Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a side dish
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Eat. Share. Enjoy.
Lidija
Servings
Prep time
Cook time
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup of mixed quinoa (red, black and white)
- 1¼ cups of water
- Himalayan pink salt, pinch
- 3 large roasted red capsicums, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- ½ chilli, or more (optional)
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, diced
- Handful of walnuts, chopped roughly
- 2 handfuls of finely chopped baby spinach
- 1 tbsp of finely chopped parsley
- 1 lemon
- 2-3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
- pepper to taste
Method
- Rinse the quinoa well under running water and then drain. In a pot, soak quinoa in 1¼ cups of water with a pinch of salt, splash of olive oil and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, dice and chop all the other ingredients.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, combine all the ingredients, dress the salad with the lemon, extra virgin olive oil and pepper.
Tried this recipe? Mention @wellbeing_magazine or tag #wbrecipe!
