Asian Style Quinoa Salad With Chili-Orange Dressing - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon orange zest, grated
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, Siracha
black pepper, freshly ground to taste
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
8 ounces water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups snow peas, chopped and cooked until tender and then cooled
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Preparation

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the first 7 ingredients (thru pepper).
Rinse the quinoa very throughly to remove the bitter natural resin.
Bring 2 cups of water to boil and add quinoa in a steady stream to prevent clumping. Return to the boil and and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until it is tender. Look for the white line around the seed - it's the germ and when it bursts the grain is cooked. If water remains in the pot, remove the lid and boil and stir until the remaining liquid evaporates, being careful not to overcook. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let in cool.
In a serving bowl combine the quinoa with the last 4 ingredients. Add dressing and toss until combined.
Chill for 1 hour before serving.