Kitchen Sink Quinoa Salad With Culinary Argan Oil

When I decided to go plant based a couple of months ago, I was afraid I would hit a wall when it comes to recipes. Thankfully, I keep waking up thinking of new ways to make vegetables less boring.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a grain salad made with quinoa from one of my favorite plant based restaurants Sun In Bloom. It had veggies and mint folded in and was a great side for their bean chili. Of course, I started thinking of new combos to make at home using quinoa as a base.

Once I got home, I literally looked in my fridge and pulled out a lot of veggies that needed to be used before they went bad. It didn’t take long for me to come up with this “Kitchen Sink of a recipe”.

But before I get carried away with the recipe, let me tell you about the two stars of this dish…quinoa and culinary argan oil.

Quinoa

Quinoa is the funny named grain that’s really a seed. It’s showing up in store shelves and menus all over the place as people start incorporating it into their diets.

But what’s so special about about it…tons!

Quinoa was first cultivated over 5,000 years ago. Quinoa is a great high antioxidant, gluten-free, option for those trying to lay off refined grains and starches. It is also a complete protein which is rare of plant.

So this is great for anyone that’s trying to move from a meat centered diet, but is concerned about their protein intake.

Culinary Argan Oil

Yup, you heard that right…argan oil that you can eat! Up until recently, argan oil has seen and used mostly in beauty products. Known for it’s vitamins and moisturizing properties, it has become a sought after addition to many women’s routine.

However, argan oil has been traditionally consumed in the Moroccan culture. According to this study, argan oil has been found to have gamma -tocopherol. This is form of vitamin E is much higher than that of any other oils. Gamma -Tocopherol has been shown to possess strong chemopreventive and anti-inflammatory properties.

There is one main difference between cosmetic grade argan oil and culinary again oil. During the production of culinary grade oil, the argan nuts are roasted before they are pressed which helps bring out the desired rich taste.

I was recently introduced to a great woman owned brand that manufactures culinary argan oil named Victoria Akkari. It is her argan oil that I used in this recipe. Be sure to check her oil out at www.victoriaakkari.com.

Let’s get into the recipe…

Kitchen Sink Quinoa Salad w/ Culinary Argan Oil

Why is this recipe called Kitchen Sink Salad? Because it can literally have everything but the kitchen sink if want! This recipe was made to be fluid and open to whatever you have in your fridge at the time. The ingredients I share below are the ones I had on hand at the time, but I have made this other times with different ones.

In addition, while this recipe is finished off marvelously with the argan oil, if you are unable to find it or want to make it quickly and do not have it on hand, simply swap it out for a GOOD olive oil or toasted (or non-toasted) sesame oil instead. The main difference will be the roasted taste which olive oil does not have. But it is good either way…believe me.

For this recipe you will need:

1 1/2 Cup Quinoa (Doesn’t matter what color)

3 cups Water

1 Small Sweet Potato

1/2 Zucchini or yellow squash

1/2 Red Pepper

1/2 Palmful Diced Mint

3 or so tablespoons Culinary Argan Oil or Good Olive Oil or Toasted Sesame Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

And WHATEVER green leafy veggie(s) you have in your fridge (I used kale, dandelion greens, and spinach) As little or much as you want.

Prepare quinoa by boiling water then adding when at a rolling boil. Add a bit of salt to the water during boiling to help season the quinoa.
After about 8-10 minutes or when the water has evaporated and a ring appears around the quinoa grains.
While the quinoa is cooking, dice the sweet potato into cubes.
Add 1/2 tbs or so of oil in a skillet and sauté the potatoes until tender.
Dice the red pepper, squash, and greens.
In a bowl, toss all of the ingredients.
Add in oil. Add more or less to taste.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
You can eat it warm at this point or store in the fridge to cool for a couple of hours. This can be made for meal prep and stay fresh in the fridge for a couple of days.

This dish is filling and can easily eaten warm during the cooler months and cool during a picnic in the warmer months.

Let me know if you make it in the comment section below.

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