With the arrival of summer, eating a light and tasty bite during lunch break is always a pleasure, especially outdoors. Quinoa: here is our proposal for this week.

Quinoa salad and dried tomatoes

This is a unique dish rich in nutrients, healthy and light, perfect to put in a jar and to take to work.
Preparing it is very simple and you can do it the night before and keep it for a few days. Our advice, in fact, is to make a good amount.
First cook the quinoa, not by boiling it in water, but by toasting it first in a pan and then blending it with water or broth.
Season it once cold with thinly sliced ​​sun-dried tomatoes in oil, avocado, lots of fresh mint and basil, desalted capers, pine nuts, cucumbers cut into small cubes and primosale cheese.
If you don't like cheeses, natural tuna will also be good.
Vegans, on the other hand, can opt for legumes. Cannellini beans, fresh broad beans or edamame are the ideal combinations.

The perfect cooking of quinoa

Let's go back for a moment to cooking quinoa because this is an important step and not everyone knows how to do it.
Sometimes this fake cereal, in fact, can be a little pimp after cooking because it absorbs too much water and becomes soft.
We, however, want the beans to remain distinct and retain some of their crunchiness.
How to do? First, wash the quinoa very well under running water to remove the saponin.
Then let it drain for a long time and toast it in a pan with a classic sauté if you like or just with oil.
Add boiling water or broth after a few minutes and let them absorb.
When the beans have swelled and are almost transparent, turn off the heat and let it cool.
During cooking, add a little water at a time if you see that it is not enough, but do not overdo it because in the end the liquid part must be completely absorbed.

How to season the schiscetta

To avoid that it absorbs too much oil and that the quinoa loses a little consistency, put oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice on the bottom of the container which can be a glass jar or a container with an airtight plastic closure.
When eating the meal, shake it well to mix all the flavors and evenly distribute the seasoning.

If you don't like quinoa

No problem, you can use spelled, brown rice, barley, couscous and bulgur.
These cereal salads are always good and can be enriched in many different ways.
They are a very valid solution for lunch because in a single dish we find all the nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
To give color and flavor, also play a lot with spices and aromatic herbs, so avoid using too much salt.
Here we suggested mint and basil, but oregano is also excellent.