Author Notes
I had a fabulous dish the other night at one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago that bases their menu on fresh, local ingredients. I ordered a salad of fresh corn, tomatoes, a light vinaigrette and basil. When I was at the market the following weekend, I had to seek out the ingredients to make my own variation of this wonderful dish. I opted to make a similar dish, but turned it into a quinoa salad, with herbs from the garden. This is an absolutely wonderful summer dish to make when grilling out with a group of family and friends! Light, sweet and refreshing! —Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast
Ingredients
- For the Vinaigrette and Quinoa
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1/2 cup
olive oil
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1/4 cup
apple cider vinegar
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1/2
lemon (juice and zest)
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1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard
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2
cloves garlic (minced)
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1
spring onion (minced)
-
1/2 tablespoon
sea salt
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1 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1 cup
organic quinoa
-
2 cups
water
- For the Grilled Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
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25
fresh whole cherry tomatoes
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3
ears sweet corn
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
6-7
basil leaves (roughly torn into small pieces)
Directions
-
Heat grill to medium-high heat. Soak the corn ears in water for up to an hour before cooking.
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Make the vinaigrette first. Whisk together in a bowl the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Set aside to let the flavors meld while the rest of the dishes are cooking.
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Coat the cherry tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. Skewer the tomatoes, putting about 7 on each skewer.
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In a medium pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Once boiling, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Keep covered on heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put in a large serving bowl. Cover with foil until the corn and tomatoes are done grilling.
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Remove corn from water and toss on the grill, with husk on. Cook for 10 minutes, rotating the corn to cook all sides. Take the corn off, and remove the husks. Throw back on the grill without the husks, and cook for 5 minutes. Don't let the corn dry out! Cooking times will vary. The kernels should still be juicy and soft. Cut the corn off the cob into the quinoa.
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When the corn goes back on the grill without the husks, put the tomato skewers on the grill. They will cook up fast, so you will only need 5-7 minutes.
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To the quinoa and corn, add the tomatoes and vinaigrette and a little salt and pepper. Give the dish a good mix. Add the fresh basil last for a wonderful, fragrant finish.
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