Monday ***Asian-inspired Quinoa Salad

Today I made a quinoa salad with soy-sesame dressing and sautéed tofu and kale. I made a big batch so I could either have it as a snack or take it another day this week for lunch.

Asian-inspired Quinoa Salad

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons pickled ginger (like sushi ginger. It can easily be found in Japanese grocery markets or you can just use leftover ginger from eating sushi, like I did)

Quinoa:

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional, I like the taste although it doesn't really match the Asian theme)
1/2 block firm tofu
4 ribs/leaves kale

Put the quinoa in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir until fragrant it will smell slightly nutty. Add salt and pepper. Add water and garam masala if using. Stir and bring to a boil lower the heat to low. Cover and leave for 15 min. While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Mix the 2 oils in a measuring cup. Set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the soy and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in rice vinegar and add oils slowly in a stream. Mix in sesame seeds and finely chop ginger and mix. Keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the tofu sauté. Dice tofu in 1/2 inch cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in medium sautépan. Add tofu until light golden brown. Rip the kale into bite sized pieces into the tofu. Let wilt. Add in to the quinoa if finished. If your quinoa isn't done, wait until the quinoa is done then add the kale and tofu. Turn off heat and add the dressing. Serve hot or cold as a salad.