A quinoa salad that packs a punch for lunch

Part of my sunday routine is to make a big batch of something something that i can bring to the office and have for lunch. I like my own food and can't justify spending £5 a day to buy lunch out. I have to admit though, some weeks it's struggle to get through the same thing for lunch day in day out. For instance, last week it was cold pink soup. M-W i was fine with it, and it still felt like a novelty. But by Friday I had had enough pink soup to last me until next summer. This week i didn't have a struggle at all with this delightfully crunchy quinoa salad, courtesy of The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen. There was enough variety to keep it interesting the whole week.

Crunchy Quinoa Salad
For the salad:
kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
1 red onion chopped
1/2 cup arame seaweed
1 cup mixed sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
1 large carrot, grated
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

For the marinade:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup evoo
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
1 chilli pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp coarse sea salt
freshly milled black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Spread the seeds on a baking tray and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes.


2. Combine the arame with 2 cups warm water and set aside to swell for 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and set aside.


3. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring 1-1.2 cups cater and salt to a boil. Add the quinoa. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool.


4. Steam the corn kernels and red onion for 3-5 minutes until cirps-tender. Drain and chill under cold running water.


5. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Add the salad ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to marry the flavors.