Last weekend, I had the distinct honor of being the keynote speaker at the new Nutritional Sciences Teaching Kitchen at the Helen Diller Anchor House at University of California, Berkeley. If you know my work as a physician/chef/cooking teacher/champion of culinary medicine, you know how fulfilling it was for me to teach in a space created to train future dietitians and scientists in how to translate nutrition science to the plate, for the health of people and the planet.

For my demo, I taught two grain salad recipes. One is the Lemony Farro Salad that is a recipe in my cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen. The other, crowd-favorite, is this recipe for a Japanese Inspired Quinoa Salad that I taught a few years ago at the Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference at the Culinary Institute of America. People have been asking me for the recipe, so here you go!

The reason I chose to teach grain salads as they are an easy and delicious way to incorporate whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, and lots of vegetables into your diet. These are the key food groups associated with longevity, and both person and planetary health, as featured in the EAT-Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet (more on that to come in a future post!). It’s also a template-type recipe that can be adapted to any culture or cuisine, or just what you happen to have or like in your pantry. Just swap out the grains, the seasonings, the legumes, etc, and you can make this your own!

To your health!

Japanese Inspired Quinoa Salad with Edamame

Linda Shiue, MD, Chef

Yield: 6 to 8

Ingredients    

For the dressing:

3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice                     

1 T toasted sesame oil                                        

1 T less sodium soy sauce, tamari , or coconut aminos      

freshly ground black pepper, to taste     

For the salad:

3 cups cooked quinoa                                        

grated zest of 1 lemon                                  

1 large leaf curly green or Tuscan kale                      

1 Persian cucumber, ¼” dice                        

1 cup edamame, shelled, cooked and cooled    

2 T sliced scallions                       

1 avocado, sliced or diced                          

1/2 cup Furikake or toasted sesame seeds            

Salt, to taste

Method

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or a jar with a lid. Set aside.
2. Put cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add dressing and lemon zest and stir to combine.
3. Strip kale from its center rib, then tear into bite sized pieces or slice thinly. Use your hands to massage leaves until tender, darker green and glossy, 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Add massaged kale, cucumber, edamame and scallions to the quinoa and stir or toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt to taste.
5. Transfer salad to a serving platter, then lay the slices of avocado on top. Scatter with furikake or toasted sesame seeds.

Note:

-Toasted sesame oil is the sesame oil sold in Asian groceries or in the Asian section of supermarkets. Do not use untoasted sesame oil (different flavor)

-Reduced sodium versions of soy sauce and tamari (which is gluten-free) are still high in sodium.

-May substitute ¼ of an English cucumber for 1 Persian cucumber.

Variation: May substitute other greens, if desired. If using baby greens, such as arugula, baby kale or baby spinach, do not massage.

If you enjoyed this recipe and my flavorful approach to health, please consider scheduling a Lifestyle Medicine or Culinary Medicine Consultation appointment with me. These consultations are provided as a fee-based service at Kaiser Permanente to any adult in California, both members and the general public. It would be my joy to help you achieve your best health and wellness, deliciously! For more information, see the previous post or visit the Kaiser Permanente Lifestyle Medicine website, and visit the section, “consult with a lifestyle medicine specialist.”

Or, if you haven’t already, please get yourself a copy of my cookbook, Spicebox Kitchen. Happy cooking!

To your health!