Curried Quinoa Salad

I ended up going out on both Friday and Saturday night over the weekend, which I normally don’t do, so I was really tired out yesterday. I spent the day watching episodes of Lost and taking naps. What a lazy Sunday! Finally in the afternoon I got some energy up to make food for the week, so I made a big batch of hummus and a really tasty quinoa salad with ingredients I already had in the house. This one is perfect for those of you that love spicy foods. I’m so happy I have a bunch of leftovers for this week.

This Curried Quinoa Salad is a rich source of whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats. Curry powder is a super healthy blend of spices that have been shown to keep your immune system strong and prevent diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Curried Quinoa Salad
(makes a family size portion)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 large carrot (or 2 medium)
1 yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1½ tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Roasted cashews (for garnish)
Salt (to taste)

Rinse off the quinoa and combine it with water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and set aside. Finely chop up the carrot, onion, and garlic and add them to a saute pan. Cook on medium-low for about 5-7 minutes. Add to the quinoa and mix together with a fork.  In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, curry powder, and hot sauce. Pour dressing on top of quinoa salad and mix everything together. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with cashews and serve warm. Tip: Increase the hot sauce to 2 teaspoons if you like it extra spicy!

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