Sunny Bunny Quinoa Salad

Aren't bunny butts just the cutest? :-)

(And this is an appropriate image for me to use, because lately I have been a little behind! *snork*)

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe, so here's a spring and summer favorite of ours that's based on a delicious dish we used to enjoy years ago at The Good Earth Food Co-op deli in Billings, MT. In addition to adding and deleting several ingredients, I also changed the name because while the original, "Quinoa, Sunflower Seed and Carrot Salad," was fairly descriptive, I found it cumbersome and boring. So in honor of spring I've shortened "sunflower seed" to "sunny," and pay homage to the carrots by subbing the adorably (and today, appropriately) rhyming "bunny." :-)

Sunny Bunny Quinoa Salad

(based on a recipe from The Good Earth Food Co-op, Billings, MT)

1 - 1 1/2 cups organic quinoa (regular or red; we prefer Inca Red)

2 organic carrots, shredded or diced

About 4 organic green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

About 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I use organic raw)

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine/minced

3 TBSP lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

3 TBSP Tamari

Rinse quinoa under running water (the Inca Red is pre-rinsed, so this step isn't necessary). Add to 3 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender ~ about 15 minutes.

Transfer cooked quinoa to a large serving dish or bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix together well. If using 1 1/2 cups of quinoa, you may want to increase the lemon juice and tamari by 1 tsp each (or to taste). You can serve immediately, or chill and enjoy later.

Store in tightly-covered container in refrigerator.

If you've never had the pleasure, it's time to give quinoa ("keen-wa") a try. An ancient and important pseudocereal crop from the Andes, it's an excellent (and gluten-free) source of ideal protein, as well as lysine, calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamins A, E and B and potassium. It's quick cooking with a delicious, nutty taste and is wonderful in almost any dish, from soups to salads to desserts. (Here's another quinoa recipe especially suited to this time of year - FatFreeVegan's Spring Green Quinoa).

I spoke too soon in my previous post... we had our end of March blizzard after all. It just arrived a day late! Mother Nature's April Fool's joke on me! We didn't get nearly the amount of snow we did last year, but it was enough... about 8 inches of heavy, wet, slushy stuff on top of ice. Took the last three days to shovel it all off the deck. And it's not likely to melt any time soon... it's only 16º here this morning! Needless to say, the Easter Bunny is LESS than impressed with the local conditions!

But to his credit, he did hop by and hide some dog treats for the girls, so we're off to enjoy the Three Stooges-like entertainment of watching their search-and-munch brouhaha. Today is also our horse Mocha's 22nd birthday, so we'll be having a carrot and apple party down at the barn later. Such festivities here today!

May your Easter basket also be filled with festive fun! :-)