For me, quinoa tabouli is the essence of summer. It’s light and very refreshing. The simple dressing means that the flavours of the raw vegetables are allowed to shine through and it is very clean on the palate. I feel good after eating it.

Quinoa tabouli not only tastes great, it is also very healthy for you—parsley being a source of antioxidants, folic acid, and vitamins A and C, and quinoa a source of protein, dietary fibre, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium.

Quinoa tabouli takes a lot less time than the more traditional version with burghul (cracked wheat), but none of the delicious flavour is lost and it’s gluten free.

Serve with a bit of ham and hommus, barbecued lamb, or grilled chicken.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
3 cups curly parsley, chopped
2 cups baby grape tomatoes, halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, deseeded and diced
4 shallots, finely sliced
¾ cup mint, chopped

Dressing

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Method

Rinse the quinoa well in a colander to ensure there is no grit. Once rinsed, place it into a small saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the pan and place on kitchen towel to drain.

Meanwhile, place the lemon juice and olive oils in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Place the cooked quinoa into a large salad bowl and add the parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, shallots and mint. Toss to combine. Pour in three-quarters of the salad dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add additional dressing if needed.

Because wheat-based pasta dishes are so much heavier to digest than gluten free pasta they give the illusion of a filling meal, particularly the ones with vegetarian sauces such as this one with cauliflower, peas, mint and quinoa. So the challenge was to find another ingredient that would “beef up” these dishes and also increase the quantity of vegetables.

This recipe is based on one from Matt Moran’s When I Get Home—which originally included panko breadcrumbs (to give a crunchy texture to the dish)—but replaces the breadcrumbs with quinoa to make it gluten free and also adds cream to make more of a sauce.

We think it’s pretty tasty.

Ingredients

1 tbs butter
¾ cup quinoa flakes
250g gluten free pasta (we like San Remo spirals made with maize, potato, soy and rice flours)
½ large cauliflower, cut into small florets
1–1½ cups peas
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾–1 cup cream
2 tbs olive oil
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan and add the quinoa flakes. Fry till golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Bring some water to the boil for the pasta and cook to the directions on the packet.

Heat the olive oil to the pan and add the cauliflower florets. Cook until golden brown and softened (around 8 minutes). You can add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan to help soften the cauliflower. Stir through the garlic and peas, and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta, toasted quinoa flakes, mint and pecorino cheese. Stir until all the cheese has melted.

Season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.