Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad — The Bright Late-Winter Bowl

Late February. Cody is on day four hundred and seventeen. Junior year is wrapping up — finals are in eight weeks. Mr. Briggs from English has been pushing me to apply to the Tulsa Library teen writing program for the summer. The program runs eight weeks, four hours a week, on Wednesday evenings at the main library, with a published author each week leading the workshop. The application is due March fifteenth. The application requires a writing sample, a short personal essay, and two teacher recommendations.

I have been working on the writing sample. The plan is an excerpt from the notebook (probably the first-canning entry from March 2017) plus a new short essay I have been drafting on the kitchen as the room that runs the household. The essay is the kind of piece I would not have tried a year ago. Mr. Briggs has been editing my drafts in red pen at his desk during sixth period. He is, I have decided, the kind of teacher whose attention is its own kind of curriculum.

And the recipe Sunday was crunchy Thai peanut quinoa salad. Quinoa was on sale at Walmart at $2.99 a bag, the cheapest I had seen it. The recipe is from Cookie and Kate. Cooked quinoa cooled, tossed with shredded red cabbage, sliced bell pepper, frozen edamame thawed, fresh cilantro, slivered almonds, all in a peanut-lime-soy dressing.

The math: quinoa $2.99 (used about a third of the bag), red cabbage $0.99 for half a head, a red bell pepper $0.99, frozen edamame $1.99 (used about a quarter of the bag), fresh cilantro $0.99, slivered almonds $0.50 worth from the bag I bought in October, peanut butter $0.30 worth from the jar, lime $0.49, soy sauce, ginger, garlic. Total: about $7.25 for a big bowl.

The technique is the dressing whisk and the cool-quinoa toss. Cook the quinoa according to package directions (one cup quinoa, two cups water, simmer covered fifteen minutes; fluff with a fork). Cool to room temperature. Whisk the dressing: a quarter cup of natural peanut butter, three tablespoons of soy sauce, two tablespoons of lime juice, a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of grated ginger, a clove of minced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, two tablespoons of warm water to thin. Toss the cooled quinoa with the shredded vegetables and the edamame. Pour the dressing over. Toss. Fold in cilantro and almonds at the end.

The bowl is bright and crunchy and slightly sweet from the peanut dressing. Mama said, eating, baby, you are still pulling new things out of this kitchen. The application essay is going to land in the mail by March fifteenth. The kitchen is the room that runs the household. I have decided to make that the title of the essay.

The recipe is below. The trick is the warm water in the dressing — the peanut butter will not blend cold; warm water thins it for the whisk. Use natural peanut butter if you can; sweetened versions throw the balance off.

Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups shredded red or green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• Peanut-Lime Dressing:
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 2–4 tablespoons warm water, to thin

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa. Combine rinsed quinoa and water (or broth) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 13–15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool slightly.
2. Make the dressing. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or jar until smooth. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time until the dressing is pourable. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more soy for salt, more honey to balance heat.
3. Prep the vegetables. While the quinoa cooks, shred the cabbage and carrots, slice the bell pepper and green onions, and thaw the edamame. Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
4. Assemble the salad. Add the slightly cooled quinoa to the bowl of vegetables. Pour the dressing over everything and toss well to combine, making sure the dressing coats every layer.
5. Finish and serve. Top with chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts. Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or refrigerate for up to 3 days — the flavors deepen overnight. Give it a toss and a squeeze of fresh lime before serving leftovers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 620mg