Stay for Tea

(adapted/modified from a ReadyMade.com recipe)
A very filling, delicious salad full of good-for-you ingredients. I feel that some of the measurements on the ReadyMade website are a bit off, when it comes to the amount of quinoa they suggest for the recipe. It also may depend on the type of quinoa, I suppose. However, having prepared 2 cups of quinoa I found myself with quite a bit of it that I couldn’t even put into the salad. So, if you want a nice balance of all the ingredients, follow my suggestions.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water (for the cooked quinoa)
1 tbsp dried hijiki
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced carrot
½ tsp olive oil
2-3 cups shelled edamame (depends on how much you like it)
Dressing
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (I used black, but any sesame seeds will add good flavor)
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp agave syrup/nectar
¼ tsp red/spicy sesame oil
dash of crushed chili pepper flakes
¼ tsp sea salt

1. Prepare the quinoa according to packaged instructions; set aside to cool
2. Soak hijiki in cold water for 30-40 minutes; rinse hijiki and simmer on low heat for another 10-15 minutes until just slightly soft; rinse in cold water and drain; set aside
3. Sauté the carrots and peppers in the olive oil and add to the quinoa.
4. Add the edamame to the quinoa.
5. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl & add the drained hijiki.
6. Stir in the dressing and hijiki into the salad until well mixed.
7. (optional) Good garnish options: shredded dry nori, some more sea salt and sesame seeds