Tangy Quinoa Salad

There were some lovely and fragrant pineapples at the Co-op today and I found a great recipe to use one in! I was looking for some tasty quinoa salad recipes to try out, and this one really fit the bill. I used a recipe from the incredible GRuB cookbook as a base and modified it a little to incorporate some other ingredients that looked good to me. This time around I used black quinoa. I've never tried it before as it is a little more expensive than the white kind. It tastes pretty much the same as standard quinoa to me, but the color is definitely a pretty contrast with the green of the edamame and the cilantro. This salad is tangy and fresh tasting, and it makes a lot, which will be nice to have extra for lunch. I think it would be great served with a green salad and a piece of grilled salmon or baked tofu/tempeh.

Tangy Quinoa Salad

For dressing:

2 Tbsp minced shallots or onions

1/2 cup olive oil

few dashes of toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

6 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp tamari

a generous squirt of Sriracha or other hot sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

juice of 2 fresh limes

2 cups quinoa
3 3/4 cups water

The mix ins:
1 package frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups pineapple chunks
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cup roasted and salted cashew pieces

Make dressing in a very large bowl. Set aside.
Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Allow to cook for 15 minutes. Check to see if it is done. If not, continue cooking for a few more minutes. (When the quinoa is done, the water should be mostly absorbed, and the quinoa should still taste slightly underdone. Quinoa can get overcooked really easily, so keep an eye on it- you don't want it to get mushy).  Remove from heat and immediately mix into the dressing.
Mix in all other ingredients. Cover and chill. Serve cold or at room temperature.