Quinoa Salad with Shortbread

In keeping with my salad contest, I found this Quinoa Salad recipe.  Actually, it is three recipes in one:  Quinoa Salad, Salad Dressing, and Black Olive Shortbread!  The author has created a wonderful meal with just one post!

If you read the author’s original post, she describes her love affair with olives — she adds them to everything (well, almost everything).  As you probably know olives are full of wonderful nutrients as well as good oils.  Add those to Quinoa Salad and Shortbread (have you heard of olives in Shorbread?) …. well read the recipe for yourself!

 Quinoa-Olive Salad with Black Olive Shortbread

For the Salad:

1-1/4 cups quinoa, dry

2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth or stock

1 cup (240 ml) water

1/2 cup (120 ml) sliced green olives (such as Manzanilla), plain or stuffed with pimiento or garlic

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

1/3 cup (80 ml) diced cucumber (peel if not organic)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) diced red onion

1/2 cup (120 ml) green onion, sliced (white and light green parts only)

1/3 cup (80 ml) sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped Italian parsley

For the Dressing:

3 Tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil

juice of one large lemon (about 1/4 cup or 60 ml)

5-8 drops plain stevia liquid, to your taste

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Shortbreads:

1/2 cup (55 g) walnut halves, lightly toasted

1/4 cup (60 ml) finely ground flax seeds

2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown rice flour

1/4 cup (60 ml) pitted black, oil-cured olives, such as lugano (the salty, wrinkled kind)

1 tsp (5 ml) Bragg’s aminos, wheat-free tamari or soy sauce

1 Tbsp (15 ml) water or vegetable broth

Cook the quinoa: In a large pot, bring the water and broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa, stir, then cover and lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, then check for doneness. If there is still liquid at the bottom of the pot, cover again and continue to cook until the liquid is just absorbed, 5 minutes at a time. Once ready, turn off heat and allow to cool.

Make the shortbreads: Preheat oven to 325F (170C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment or spray with nonstick spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, whir together the walnuts, flax seeds and flour until crumbly. Add the olives, Bragg’s and broth and process until it comes together in a crumbly dough (it should stick together when pinched between your thumb and fingers, without being too moist).

Turn the dough out onto the parchment and shape it into a disk about 4-5 inches (10 cm) across and 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Score into 6 triangle-shaped wedges.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut all the way through along the scored lines. Separate the pieces about an inch (2.5 cm) apart from each other and continue to bake until browned on the bottom and dry on top, another 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool while you complete the salad.

Complete the salad: in a salad bowl, toss the cooled quinoa, green olives, carrot, cucumber, red onion, green onion, red pepper and parsley.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, stevia, salt and pepper. Pour over the quinoa and toss to coat.

To serve, mound some of the salad on a plate and garnish with one wedge of olive shortbread. For a fancier presentation, pack about a cup of salad into well-greased individual molds (ramekins or muffin cups), then invert onto serving plates and garnish each with a shortbread wedge. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 4 days. The shortbreads may be wrapped in plastic and frozen.

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Once again, contact me with your favorite spring/summer salad and I will post my favorites on the website with links to your site (or Facebook Page … or wherever you would like me to link to).  Email your recipes to GFDFSandy @ gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing your recipes!!