Toasted quinoa salad with scallops and snow peas

 Ingredients (serves 6)

• 350 g dry sea scallops, cut into 
1cm pieces
• 4 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce, divided
• 4 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed well (see Tip)
• 2 tsp grated or minced garlic
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced
snow peas
• 1⁄3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced spring onions
• 1⁄3 cup finely diced red capsicum
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
for garnish

METHOD

Toss scallops with two teaspoons soy sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Place a large, high-sided pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until the quinoa begins to color, six to eight minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute more. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover and cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes (Do not stir). Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for five minutes. Stir in snow peas, cover and let stand for five minutes more.

Meanwhile, whisk three tablespoons olive oil, the remaining two teaspoons soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and snow peas, spring onions and capsicum; toss to combine.

Remove the spring onions from the marinade and pat dry. Heat a large pan over medium-high until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water upon contact. Add the remaining two teaspoons olive oil and cook the scallops, turning once, until golden and just firm, about two minutes total. Gently stir the scallops into the quinoa salad. Serve garnished with coriander if desired.

Recipe from Sharron Dunn.