Quinoa Salad with grilled corn, tomatoes, and cilantro

First off I do have to say - sometimes the best laid plans get changed. However, even with the change in plans, tonight's vegetarian dinner was quite tasty!

 
This recipe comes from the L.A. Times.

• 1 C. quinoa
• 1 3/4 C. water
• salt
• 2 C. grilled corn (our fresh corn from the farmer's market was not very good - we actually ended up using frozen corn kernals that had much better flavor)
• 2 C. chopped tomatoes (romas from the garden - yum!)
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced (jalapenos from our garden - wow, some definite heat!)
• 3/4 C. chopped green onion (oops, mix-up in communication, we were out so left them out - did use some frozen diced onion)
• 3 T. lime juice
• 2 T. oil (EVOO of course!)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 t. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 C. chopped cilantro (same issue as green onion, this time no substitute)

1. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse under running water until the water runs clear, 1 to 2 minuutes. Turn the quinoa into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The quinoa will dry, then begin to stick a bit. Keep stirring and eventually it will begin to toast, smell nutty and turn a light golden color (about 5 minutes total). Add the water and 1/4 t. salt, bring to a slow simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is dry, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. (Can be set aside at this point until tomorrow - bring to cool room temperature before serving if doing so.)

2. Transfer the quinoa to a mixing bowl and gently stir in the corn, tomatoes, chile, green onions, and 1 t. salt. Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic, and cumin in a blender (oops, we forgot to blend) and puree to a smooth dressing. (You know what, it tasted just fine not being blended.)

3. Pour about half of the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir gently to combine. Add more dressing to taste. Gently fold in the cilantro. Correct the seasoning with more salt or lime juice, if needed, and serve immediately.

Yield: about 6 C. salad

As we used it for our main course, serving with pita bread and honeydew melon, we will get about 4-5 servings from the recipe. I'm already looking forward to the leftovers!

Next time I get a hankering for quinoa though - I'm trying the recipe on Friend Nicole's blog: Herb Quinoa.