Spicy Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 100g quinoa
• 2 tsps vegetable stock powder
• 2 tsps mint jelly
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• ½ cucumber, finely diced
• 1 small red chilli, chopped
• 2 ripe peaches, stoned and diced
• few fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 cups of boiling water
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• lemon juice to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan, add the stock powder, mint jelly and 2 cups of boiling water.
2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until the water had been absorbed.
3. Heat a heavy-based, non-stick pan, add the vegetables, chilli, peaches and basil and lightly colour, seasoning with black pepper.
4. Remove the quinoa from the heat and spoon into a mixing bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper and a little lemon juice. Pile into a serving dish and serve warm or cold.

Tips

Quinoa, which is similar to couscous, is gluten free and high in protein and, once it's made up, just add vegetables of your choice - or for a main course, add strips of cooked meat or flakes of salmon or tuna.