Thai Quinoa Salad with Grilled Pork - Going For The Semi-Healthy

I had been craving a nice grain and veggie salad. But there was also some lovely pork chops in the Used Meat section, so why not a lovely grain and veggie salad with Thai flavors and sliced grilled pork on top?

Quinoa takes to flavors so well and it has a nice chew to it. I am surprised I don't end up using it more, say, instead of rice or couscous. It has a lot of protein and I think it has borne its Health Food 15 Minutes with some longevity. Kale had a similar trajectory but seemed to experience Restaurant Menu burnout sooner than quinoa. I seem to see quinoa salads and sides on more menus than the once ubiquitous kale salads.

This recipe was delicious and it would be very adaptable, for switching out veggies and types of meat, or no meat at all. I enjoyed the cabbage best of all due to its power crunch and color, with the peanuts coming in close second. This called for thawed frozen edamame but I didn't feel like all that work. I think next time I'd add sliced sugar snap peas.

Mangia!

Thai Quinoa Salad with Steak

Adapted from Foodie Crush

1 pound thin boneless pork chops, cooked on stove top grill and sliced
1 cup quinoa

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1 cucumber, chopped

6 green onions, chopped

1-2 cups shredded red cabbage

4 teaspoons fish sauce

3 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of red pepper flakes

½ cup chopped peanuts

½ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup chopped basil

Rinse the quinoa under cold water and cook in a medium saucepan according to package directions. Remove from pan and let cool.

While quinoa is cooking, cook the pork on a stovetop grill .

Add the quinoa, vegetables and chicken to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce, limes, sugar, vegetable oil, sesame oil and red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Taste for sweetness and for heat and add more to taste. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and vegetables and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cilantro, basil and peanuts over the salad and stir lightly. Serve or refrigerate for up to a day.