Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

By now you have probably heard all the hype about quinoa.  High in protein, gluten free, easy to cook......if you haven't tried it yet, I recommend this recipe.  The hardest part is chopping all the vegetables, but if you have a food processor you can chop them all pretty quickly.  Or put on a little music and chop the old fashioned way!  I always feel so good after eating this meal.  So many colors of veggies....so healthy!  It makes 4-6 portions, and leftovers keep well for a couple days in the fridge.  I usually eat the leftovers cold, but you can microwave if you prefer warm.  Hope you experiment a little and give this dish a try!

Ingredients
¾ cup uncooked quinoa
1-2 cups shredded red cabbage (pre-shredded bagged makes it easy!)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup diced green onions
½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
1 can chickpeas

For the dressing:
¼ cup all natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free if desired
1 tablespoon honey (use agave if vegan)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
Water to thin, if necessary

Instructions
To cook quinoa: Cook quinoa according to package instructions, then place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

Add the dressing to the quinoa.  Next, fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, chickpeas and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with nuts and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.