Quinoa Pilaf Salad Cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium red onion small diced
- ⅓ cup carrots shredded
- 1-¼ cups quinoa
- ½ cup white wine
- 2-½ cups low-sodium chicken broth or water -- for a vegetarian version
- 1 teaspoon salt plus extra for seasoning if necessary
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- ½ jalapeño deseeded and chopped
- ⅓ cup toasted cashew nuts coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped
- ½ medium cucumber peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 8 red grape-tomatoes halved
- 8 yellow sunburst tomatos halved
- Zest of 1 lime
- Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lime
- 10-12 large napa cabbage or lettuce leaves
Instructions
- Note: To toast the cashew nuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350º F (180º C) oven for about 5-6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool completely before roughly chopping.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft (about 2 minutes), stirring nearly constantly in order to not let brown. Add the carrots and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broth or water, the salt, pepper, and cumin, and give a good stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and let cook for 12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Then add the jalapeño, toasted cashew nuts, mint, cilantro or parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, lime zest and juice to the quinoa pilaf, tossing well. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Spoon quinoa pilaf salad into each cabbage/lettuce leaf and serve. The quinoa pilaf salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold!!! It is up to you....
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