This easy to make and delicious to eat salad is the perfect homemade packed lunch (yes to saving money!) or light dinner. With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is fantastic for boosting energy and looking after our hair, teeth and skin. Veggie or vegan? It’s a sure fire way to ensure you’re getting enough protein in your diet. The nutty grain is also less allergenic than wheat or barley, meaning it’s perfect for those with intolerances.

This salad is packed with mouthwatering Japanese inspired flavours, and can be eaten hot or cold.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

6 small  dried shiitake mushrooms

2 tsp  Japanese toasted sesame oil

2 spring onions – finely chopped

1 tbsp  tamari soya sauce

1 packet Clearspring 90sec Quinoa Trio

1 tsp  extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tbsp Clearspring Japanese Sea Vegetable Salad

½ block  silken tofu – cut into 1cm cubes

Method:

Place the shiitake mushrooms into a bowl, cover with warm water and leave to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Remove from the bowl (reserving the water), pat dry and cut into 3 – 5mm thick slices, discarding the woody parts of the stems. Put the dried sea salad into the soaking water to rehydrate, once softened drain the salad.

Heat the sesame oil in a small pan, and fry the mushrooms and spring onions for a few minutes until the spring onions are starting to brown, remove from the heat and immediately pour the tamari over.

Heat the Quinoa Trio according to the packet instructions, stir in the olive oil, lemon juice and half the rehydrated sea salad. 4. Serve the Quinoa on a large plate or bowl, topped with the tofu and the mushroom mixture, garnished with a few more pieces of sea salad. Toss the remainder of the sea salad with some dressed green salad leaves.

Recipe, photography & styling by Helen Best-Shaw, Fuss Free Flavours, for Clearspring Ltd