Quinoa pro quo

With a pasta-free week, more for imagination-inducing reasons than anything else (although cutting back on pasta is one of the few things in the Low-Carb High-Fat community I could live with...), I've made a number of dishes that are a little more creative than 'anything-and-pasta'.

One of the good alternatives to boring pasta, is the wonderful, magical, fabulous world of quinoa. This exceptionally tasty and superbly easy seed/grain is so easy to cook, and it tastes fantastic. We've made two different and equally tasty dishes this week, including stuffed peppers with quinoa, onion and pine nuts (yum!), and I've found loads more recipes I want to try.

The most successful was salmon with quinoa salad, inspired by this recipe from Waitrose. (I just can't stop shopping at Waitrose, even if it is way too expensive - not only do they have amazing food and a great selection, they keep giving me recipe cards and ideas that I just have to try. Even if the ingredients can only be found in Waitrose - which is partly why I keep going back. Clever, them...)

Salmon with quinoa and bean salad

100g or so quinoa, with some bulgur wheat if you like
Salmon - we used chops on the bone
Juice and zest from a lemon
¼ tbsp cayenne pepper
Olive oil
A bit of shredded fennel
200g green beans, topped, tailed and halved
1 avocado, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
Half a cucumber, diced
Red onion, sliced
Rocket salad
Mint leaves, roughly chopped

Cook quinoa (and bulgur wheat) as it says on the pack. Mix lemon zest, cayenne pepper and a little olive oil, and brush the salmon with it. Grill the salmon on rather high temperature, for about 6-8 minutes or until it is light pink through (but don't burn it, the oven or the baking sheet...). Baste or brush with the oil if you like while cooking.

Mix the salad in a bowl, tossing in quinoa and herbs. Combine the lemon juice with salt, pepper, some more olive oil, and whatever is left of the oil for the salmon. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and season if needed.

Serve the piping hot salmon with salad and lemon chunks for squeezing. Shockingly good!