Quinoa with Corn and Roasted Yellow Cauliflower
A light yet substantial salad to serve for lunch or take along on a picnic or a spring boat ride. Quinoa cooks very quickly so you can whip up this salad in no time (I like to have cooked quinoa in the fridge, it keeps for a couple of days and can be used for a salad). To roast the yellow cauliflower just separate into small florets, toss with some olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400℉ until golden in spots. Watch that it doesn’t burn though, you want it golden but not brown. I also add corn kernel to the salad. The corn is especially nice if you can cut the kernels off the cob but if not inclined you can use frozen corn, just use the best quality frozen corn you have available. The rest of the ingredients are up to you. I usually add cherry tomatoes, a few chopped nuts and a handful of sturdy lettuce leaves. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil, add salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of good white wine vinegar and the salad is ready.
Ingredients:
2 cups yellow cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, preferably from a fresh corncob
A few cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup currants
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Directions:
Toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil to coat them. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and roast in a 400℉ oven for about 15 minutes or until cooked through and beginning to turn golden. Watch carefully so they don’t burn, they can go from golden to burnt in no time.
When cauliflower is nicely roasted remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
Cook corn kernels in microwave with a little butter until cooked through. Remove from microwave, let cool a bit and then add to quinoa. Add remaining ingredients as well as the roasted cauliflower and stir to combine.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the salad just to moisten it. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and mix.
Let salad marinate for about 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Quinoa and corn salad
4 Comments
I just love various dishes made up of cauliflower .The idea of roasted cauliflower and corn is fantastic.
I just love various dishes made up of cauliflower and the idea of roasted cauliflower and corn is fantastic.
I’ll definitely try this receipe, I love the idea of roasted cauliflower, I can eat these just as a snack. What do you consider as a good white wine vinegar, any favorite brand?
Hi Dori, I love roasted cauliflower. There is something about roasting it that makes it so special and it is a fairly clean operation, unlike cooking it in a skillet that tends to splatter all over the stove. I should post my vinegar article too, from the salad book. For salads etc. use white wine vinegar, not the regular distilled white vinegar that has its place, but not in a salad dressing. Currently I have a Pinot Griggio vinegar that’s nicely balanced (Ponti). My favourite is actually a sherry vinegar from Spain that tends to transform a simple green salad to an other level, and a Champagne vinegar that I use to make potato salad with. Also, did you know that there is a white balsamic vinegar? Check out the cookbook company on 11th. They have a good selection of oils and vingegars.