Anyone want to take a guess on how many nights I’ve slept in my bed in the last 16 days? That magic number would be 3. Right now, Sara and I are heading to Rexburg, Idaho to speak at the BYU-Idaho Business Summit (um, what?! I graduated in English!) The good news is that I get to visit my hardly-ever-visited sister and my even-hardlier-ever-visited nephews. And their dad. And my parents, who have gotten brave and are leaving their two little ones behind.
They may look like just dogs, but apparently they’re not just as good as real children, they’re better–they don’t ever talk back or ask for money. And I’m forced to talk to them on the phone.
So any-who, if you want to come and see us while we’re in town, we’ll be signing books at the following locations (and all of you Idaho Fall-ers, this is your shot! We won’t be coming to Idaho Falls so come see us in Rexburg!):
June 15th (Hello, that’s TONIGHT!)
5:00 pm
Deseret Book
485 N 2ND E # 104
Rexburg, ID
June 16th
4:00-5:00 pm
BYU-I Bookstore
Rexburg, ID
If you guys have been reading the blog for longer than a year, you know that I’m not really summer’s #1 fan. I really don’t like to be hot and I don’t like bugs. But now that we’re going into our 4th summer of food blogging, I’ve discovered that from a food perspective, I actually love summer. I love the long, leisurely days when I can snap pictures whenever because the light is almost always good, the cheap, fresh produce, the fact that it’s socially acceptable to grill, and because of salads. I love them.
Sara and I recently got to try this salad straight from the source (more about that in a few weeks, we hope!) and I was completely expecting not to love it. I kind of thought I didn’t like edamame because every time I’ve had it, the beans were mushy. What I discovered is that I love edamame as long as they’re cooked JUST until they’re plump and bright green. In fact, if you use frozen edamame, they’ve almost always been blanched so you even just run them under some warm water or, in this salad, just toss the beans with the hot quinoa.
I know. Edamame? 
Quinoa? 
Are you really at Our Best Bites? You know you are because the dressing has cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. 
This salad comes together super quickly and is a great side dish for a potluck or on a warm summer evening. I also love just eating the leftovers for a light-but-filling lunch.
Quinoa Edamame Salad
Recipe adapted from Thermador Kitchens by Our Best Bites
2 c. water
1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. grapeseed oil*
2 Tbsp. flax oil*
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, juiced
1 T. honey
3/4 tsp. salt (plus more to taste, if desired)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. frozen, shelled edamame (green soybeans)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
½ c. chopped peanuts (optional)
P.S. Don’t forget to enter the World Market giveaway!!
Questions & Reviews
Costco is the best place (cheapest) for quinoa, it isnt black but is is yummy! They also have edamame in the freezer section that are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I just have to comment on the dogs–my parents have 2 of the same type and same thing–they are their new children. They named the newest one “Emma Rose” for goodness sake! I love your blog! Thanks!
Oh, my gosh, Natalie, that’s hilarious!! This whole thing totally cracks me up, especially since it seems to be happening with all my friends whose kids are all gone!
I skipped class today to watch your presentation at BYU-I…so totally worth it! It was very interesting, and very well done. Can I say I thought you two were hilarious! Anyhow, thanks for coming!
Oh, Cami, thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you came (even if you DID skip class, haha!) And yes, you can say that we were hilarious (although you could have thrown “gorgeous” in there and we wouldn’t hate you for it at all… 🙂 )
I didn’t realize you were in Idaho. So am I. Funny. I found your site on the Internet with no clue where you were located. I’m not very familiar with quinoa. Is it like semolina? The dish look delicious (at least to me, who adores edamame!)
Pam, we’re actually just visiting (well, Sara lives in Boise, but we’re on the other side of the state). Normally I’m in Louisiana.
ANYWAY, quinoa is a really great, interesting grain. It’s super versatile–you could make it sweet like oatmeal for breakfast or use it in savory dishes or even as a super healthy, whole grain replacement for rice. I love it–it’s seriously my new favorite super food!
Thank you for sharing this. I look forward to trying it!
I would definitely buy DISHES!!!
Where would you find edamame unshelled? I have been looking for it but haven’t found it. Thanks!
Jenni, I just found it in the freezer section. If your grocery store has an organic or healthy food section, you might want to try there. Good luck! 🙂
I just adapted that same salad for a party tonight! Actually, mine is totally different now but it was a great starting point. Good luck with everything!
So what is the difference between black and “regular” quinoa? I’ve only ever used the regular stuff.
Camille–Not a huge difference. Black quinoa is super pretty and it has kind of a fruity fragrance to it while it’s cooking, but seriously, nothing big.
LOVE THIS DISH. THANK YOU