Warm Quinoa Salad With Lime, Garlic And Ginger

It’s also nice to have healthy fats from avocado and sacha inchi oil to fuel our metabolisms and keep us warm inside.

When we were in Lima, and it was hot, we had this same dish cool – with cooked quiona but raw vegetables – on top of a bed of fresh greens.

I’ve been having fun trying to figure out what spices I’m buying at the market, since they’re not labeled, but I think (based on a sniff-test) I got cumin, turmeric and chili powder.

I was so excited to find some fresh ginger, too, which is warming and great for making tea. It goes really nicely with the fresh lime, which is a staple here.

At the market, they have a whole aisle of lime stands. There’s a fruit aisle, a lime aisle, a vegetable aisle, a potato aisle and a corn aisle. The bigger markets have more aisles, but usually those same sections.

Then there’s the section of dry goods, with grains, beans and spices. I steer clear of the meat and cheese sections, but have finally broken into the juice section with an enormous mixed fruit smoothie.

I have fun choosing a vendor each time, and trying to tell them which things I want to buy. I’m slowly remembering spanish, and learning the words for all the vegetables, fruits and foods. Slowly, but surely.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (dry measure)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 onion, choped
• 1 tsp olive oil (or water or veggie broth)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup green beans, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1 Tbsp sacha inchi or flaxseed oil (optional)
• salt, to taste