Thai flavors are so delightful that I can’t seem to get enough. This Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing is so delicious and packed with protein. I used spinach and the salad kept well for a couple of days. You could optionally serve the dressing only at the time of serving to better preserve the lettuce or spinach. A delicious favorite of mine!
Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing
INGREDIENTS:
For the Salad:
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 big handfuls mixed greens OR baby spinach
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons peanuts, minced
handful fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten free Tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, pressed or minced
juice of 1/2 lime (other half sliced into wedges)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons hot water
DIRECTIONS:
For the Peanut Dressing: Add all ingredients to a bowl or mason jar with a tight fitting lid then whisk or shake well to combine. Set aside.
Divide remaining salad ingredients between two bowls then drizzle with dressing and serve with lime wedges.
Optional: Cook quinoa in chicken stock for more flavor. You can also add chicken or another protein.
My daughter, Megan, made several smooth soups for me after abdominal surgery. Initially, I ate the soup in it’s mild form and frozen some of the leftovers. Now that I’m fully recovered, I decided to spice it up a bit and added sour cream and chili crunch. Yum! Spice it up however you desire!
Carrot Ginger Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 pound carrots, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 cups vegetable broth
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional
coconut milk for garnish, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the smashed garlic cloves (they’ll get blended later) and carrots to the pot and cook 8 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the ginger, apple cider vinegar, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add a little water. If you would like your soup a little sweeter, add the maple syrup.
This salad! Wow! I made it expecting it to be good but it was amazing! I shared the salad with my two daughters, who agree this is a winner. The dressing is amazing and I will have on hand most of the summer for other salads as well. For leftovers, perhaps omit the avocado and serve it fresh with the salad to avoid brown avocado bits the next day. We are planning a family dinner with other Asian dumplings and dishes to serve with this new favorite, refreshing summer salad.
Cucumber Edamame Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
INGREDIENTS:
Sesame-Ginger Dressing
3 Tbsp. avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. lower-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
Cucumber Edamame Salad
1 lb. English or Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
1 large avocado, cut into cubes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
A pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare Sesame-Ginger Dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in mixing bowl or large glass measuring cup; whisk well to combine.
In a large bowl, combine cucumber, edamame, avocado, green onion, and sesame seeds. Season ingredients with a pinch of sea salt.
Add dressing and a pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes; toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
What a delicious dish! Daughter, Megan, recommended this recipe since I love Thai dishes. I doubled the chicken part of the recipe and made a single of the coconut rice and still had a lot of leftover rice. In the future, I would make double the chicken and halve the rice recipe. Since I doubled the recipe, I used 1 cup of fresh sprinach and one cup of chopped bok choy. The leftovers were equally delicious. For the leftover meal, I served with balsamic roasted brussel sprouts and it paired well.
The coconut rice was a great idea. I never thought of adding coconut milk to the rice cooker but it adds another level of delicious to this dish.
Ginger Peanut Chicken with Coconut Rice
INGREDIENTS:
Ginger Peanut Chicken
1 1/4 pounds chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced (white parts and green parts separated)
zest and juice of 1-2 limes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup spinach, bok choy, etc.
Coconut Rice
2 cups white or jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
a pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:
Marinate Chicken: In a stainless steel bowl, mix the chicken with the ginger, green onions (white parts), lime zest, brown sugar, salt, and oil. Marinate for 20 minutes-2 hours.
Rice: Add the rice ingredients to an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes (it won’t be quite done yet after 3 minutes – it needs the rest time to finish cooking). Release the steam, fluff with a fork, and attempt not to eat the whole thing! (Don’t have an Instant Pot...use these instructions:
To cook the coconut rice on the stove or in a rice cooker: Cooking the rice in a rice cooker or just on the stove top should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes. (Fork-Lore: I live at high altitude and had to add more water during the process so the rice didn’t stick or burn).
Cook Chicken: Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast iron work well) to medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, working in 1-2 batches depending on the size of your pan. Leave the chicken sitting undisturbed for several minutes to get a nice caramelization on the chicken.
Adding Extras: When all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down slightly and add the peanuts and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to get the peanuts roasty and the garlic nice and fragrant.
Finish by adding in the cilantro, green onion, and spinach. Squeeze lime juice into the pan and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Fork Lore 