We are snowed in down here in the DC area, again!! So I managed to hook up this recipe, but didn’t dare brave the ten inches outside to get two essential ingredients that take this salad to the next level: corn and cilantro. I added them into the steps below. If you don’t know about quinoa, it is a complete protein and awesome for very active vegans because consuming it helps your muscles regenerate from intense workouts. All vegans know the first question non-veggies ask is, “Um, where do you get your protein?” Well quinoa is a bangin’ answer to that question. Check in the Raw Girl archives for an article I wrote that breaks down the wonders of quinoa.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMtiMva-nzo]
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa cooked or sprouted, 1 small beet shredded, 1 carrot shredded, 1/3 of a jicama shredded (can also use zucchini instead–yummy), chopped red onion, a wedge of lemon, two capfuls of extra virgin olive oil, several dashes of cumin and paprika, celtic sea salt to taste, 2 cups peeled and chopped mushrooms soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes, a small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, and 1 ear of non-GMO organic corn
Start by putting your mushrooms in warm water and letting them soak. If you are cooking quinoa, put it on the stove, if you sprouted it, you are ready to go. While the mushrooms are soaking and quinoa is cooking, shred your veggies adding the cilantro and shaving in raw corn as well, season with paprika, cumin, and salt, and give them a nice massage. Strain your cooked quinoa of water, and then mix into veggies until it changes color. Season mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and thyme. Mix in mushrooms and your ready to eat.
Makes around 3-4 servings and keeps well in the fridge. Enjoy!
-XoXo Raw Girl
I love that you’re using jicama with mushrooms! Great idea. I JUST posted a Chickpea Pom Quinoa Salad recipe also. – Sapna
Cool! Will check it out 🙂 Thanks for reading! – XoXo Raw Girl
Your recipe is interesting, the photo is beautiful, def a colorful dish! I just can’t get down with getting my chickpeas from a can 🙂 – XoXo Raw Girl
Thank you Esosa! This looks delicious. I think I might try version without mushrooms – migraine trigger. But red quinoa is supposed to be good for migrains. Do you know where to find non GMO corn?
Also, I have tried sprouting before, but made me nervous, and I through them away (I know this is wastful and I didn’t like doing it). Do you know of a good source for learning how to do this safely? I have a background in food service so I know everything that can go wrong from bacterial contamination, plus I have a very peaked sense of smell and if anything is just the least bit off I’ll detect it, but may not necessarily mean it’s going bad.
I wish the raw group would have a meeting on sprouting.
Hi Carlotta! Yes, please make it without mushrooms if they cause an adverse effect for you. It tastes just as yummy. I frequently make this recipe mushroom free and other variations with additional veggies. Red quinoa is awesome, and has a nice flavor, plus it’s pretty so feel free to try it with red. I know what you mean about sprouting, at first it seems like you may be doing it wrong, or you can forget and leave your sprouts too long which can lead to foul smell etc. I will look for a sprouting source to post or may just create a video on easy sprouting soon! As far as the corn…I used to get my organic corn at farmers markets when I lived in Brooklyn. I am interested in checking out the markets in the VA area once it gets warmer. Whole foods does sell organic corn, and it’s usually labeled as such, so check there. – XoXo Raw Girl
Thanks for your comments! A video on sprouting would be great! I found info on farmers markets at the public library when I moved here last year. They have one on 2709 West Ox Rd. , Herndon, VA, that I went to at Frying Pan Farm Park. It went from 8am – 12:30pm, from May to October last year on Wednesdays, but that could change this year. I’m not all that familiar with the area so there could be others closer to where you live than that. Good luck to you and keep up the fantastic contributions you are making.
No problem, I am getting reacquainted with the area myself. I did see a pretty big farmers market in Arlington. When the season starts to change, I will compile a list of all of the markets in the area. Thanks for reading, Carlotta! -XoXo Raw Girl