In late August I attended an Indigo Books event for their upcoming fall and holiday collection which highlighted Canada's first Iron Chef America Champion, Rob Feenie's new book, Rob Feenie's Casual Classics: Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends out this weekend, September 15th.  Rob was in attendance and shared a few of his recipes at the get together which as you can expect was pretty delicious.  His publishers Douglas & McIntyre have given us permission to share one of the recipes from his new book, the super delish, Quinoa, Green Bean and Tomato Salad.  (Special thank you to Rosa Pearson of flutterflutter for taking Chef Feenie's photo that day - see below).

Rob Feenie’s Casual Classics: Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends by Rob Feenie © 2012. Published by Douglas & McIntyre, an imprint of D&M Publishers. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. Photography by John Sherlock.

Quinoa, Green Bean & Tomato Salad

1 cup quinoa, washed well and drained
11/2 cups water
3/4 lb fresh green beans, in 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb very ripe Roma tomatoes (3 to 4)
1 bell pepper (any colour), in 1-inch dice
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed
4 green onions, in 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp toasted pecans



 
One of my favourite grains right now is quinoa. It is one of the most
complete proteins on the planet and can work well on its own, in a salad
or with other proteins. The key is to give it flavour, which we have done here
with the lemon juice, capers, bell peppers and tomatoes. Thoroughly washing
the quinoa before cooking it eliminates any bitterness. Use white or red
quinoa or a mix of both.

Vary this salad by using a grilled pepper (page 7) in place of the fresh bell
pepper, and when fresh tomatoes are not in season, try oven-dried tomatoes
(page 7) instead. Use the same quantity of roasted or raw vegetables. Serve this
salad at room temperature for a vegan lunch or heat it up and serve it as a side
dish with poultry, quail or barbecued salmon. Serves 4 to 6

Combine quinoa and the 11/2 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer
on medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until all the liquid is
absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
     Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
on high heat, add green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until barely tender.
Remove from the heat and drain green beans in a colander. Place the colander
in the ice water to preserve the beans’ bright green colour and stop them from
cooking further.
    Using a sharp knife, cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out and discard
the seeds. (It is not necessary to remove the skins for this recipe.) Cut tomatoes
in 1/2-inch dice.
    In a large bowl, combine quinoa, green beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, capers,
green onions and basil. Season with salt, olive oil and lemon juice, and sprinkle
with pecans. Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Rob Feenie's Casual Classics: Everyday Recipes for Family and Friends is available through Indigo and Amazon and other book retailers here.  More info can be found at D&M Publishers.

Chef Rob Feenie - Photo by Rosa Pearson of flutter flutter