Cured Smoked Salmon, Beetroot, Quinoa Salad

Smoked Salmon, Beetroot, Quinoa Salad

This healthy salad was something I created with flavor in mind. I wanted a healthy, flavorful salad that didn’t require much dressing, but would also be satisfying, tasty and gorgeous on the plate. What appeals to me most about this salad is its homage to preservation with the cured and dried ingredients, while emphasizing the fresh and incorporating elements of the cooked. Three qualities of ingredients, one simple salad. Chemistry by contrast. The salt of the cured smoked salmon complements the mild sweetness of the fruit and beets, while the quinoa punctuates the dish with its grainy texture. All the ingredients lace themselves together in a surprisingly harmonious multi-layerd union– crisp, crunchy and soft; sweet, salty and mild–that will definitely work its way into my regular rotation.

Cured Smoked Salmon, Beetroot, Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of baby arugula
• 1/4 pound smoked salmon (you can use any cured or smoked fish of your choice)
• 1/4 cup quinoa boiled and chilled
• 2-3 cut up dates
• 1/2 of a boiled peeled and chilled beetroot
• 1 handful of crushed walnuts
• 3 tablespoons of chopped pineapple
• 1 hard boiled egg roughly chopped (optional)

Sweet Beets

Preparation:

The only cooking necessary for this dish is boiling the quinoa until the red grains have a white halo around them and boiling the beetroot until a fork goes in with relatively little resistance. Once this is finished, chop up the 1/2 beetroot into large pieces.  Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Serve cold on a large plate.