Part of my recovery and also a 2016 goal, is to get healthy head to toe, inside and out. And although I’ve made the fun chocolaty recipes from Deliciously Ella and boy were they delicious, it was time to step out of the cacao box and make some fun and healthy veggie fun stuff! Ella’s book is chock full of healthy plant-based meals so if you have not purchased her book, you definitely should 🙂
This recipe is so good, that I seriously can’t believe how healthy it is! And it has cilantro which I absolutely lurrrrrrve… Nom, nom. Go ahead and make this recipe and tell me you don’t seriously fall in love with it 🙂
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Ingredients:
- 2 ¹⁄³ cups quinoa
- 7 ounces fresh cilantro
- 8 tomatoes
- ¾ cup pine nuts (3½ ounces) **
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- salt and pepper
Directions:
- Place the quinoa in a sieve and rinse with cold water until the water that comes through is totally clear.
- Place the quinoa in a saucepan with 4 cups boiling water. Let the quinoa boil for a minute or so; then let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes covered, until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.
- While the quinoa cooks, finely chop the cilantro. Then chop the tomatoes into small salsa-like squares.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan; this should take just a couple of minutes.
- Once the quinoa has finished cooking, allow it to cool.
- Mix in the cilantro, chopped tomato, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and toasted pine nuts before sprinkling it all with salt and pepper.
The dish is meant to be served cold and let me tell you, this dish tasted even better the next day! ♥
**Regarding the pine nuts… I made this recipe exactly as Ella listed it in her book with the roasted pine nuts, but I have to tell you, I prefer the dish without them. Roasted pine nuts have a strong flavor for me, so if you don’t think you are on the pine nut bandwagon either, don’t worry, the dish tastes just fine without them 🙂