Asian Quinoa Salad

I flipped through quite a lot of recipes books searching for some kind of vegetable dish to bring to a potluck - something fresh, that wouldn't take too much effort, that would age well in the fridge (read: able to make the day prior), and of course that would be beautiful and tasty. Once again, BC Liquor stores Taste magazine came to my rescue! Who knew a free promo for the liquor store could have so many good recipes??

The salad has protein from the quinoa and peanuts (originally it was supposed to have shrimp, but why make life more complicated than it needs to be) and lots of fresh veggies and herbs. My only complaint was the tamarind paste, or namely the fact that we just have a block of tamarind pulp that has to be boiled with water and arduously pressed through a metal strainer in order to create paste ... next time I am buying the paste in a jar and shortcutting this ridiculous step! Note the recipe below probably serves about 8-10.

Asian Quinoa Salad
1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
1 tsp salt
1 lemon, juice and zest

1/2 Napa cabbage, julienned or shredded
2 large red bell peppers, julienned or diced
2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
2 c. sprouts, cut in halves or quarters
1 1/2 - 2 medium red onions, finely sliced
1 c. cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 c. basil, julienned (I used a combination of fresh basil and dried Thai basil)
1/2 c. mint, julienned
1 c. dry roasted peanuts (I dry toasted mine in a skillet which brought out a nice flavor - buy red skinned peanuts with skin on)

6 Tbs rice vinegar
2-3 limes, juice and zest
4 Tbs fish sauce
2 tsp garlic chili paste
3-4 Tbs tamarind paste
4 Tbs honey
6 Tbs vegetable or peanut oil

1. Bring quinoa, water, lemon juice, salt and zest to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Fluff and set aside (uncovered or transferred to another container) to cool.
2. Stir together all the veggies and herbs. LEAVE OUT THE PEANUTS UNTIL READY TO SERVE. If you're feeling lazy like me, I used the grater option of my food processor to cut up the cabbage and carrots.
3. Combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well to blend.
4. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, veggies and dressing together. Let sit for at least 4 hours in the fridge before serving. Stir in peanuts when ready to eat.