044 / 75 · Rice, noodles and pasta

Warm Quinoa with Salmon and Celery

Name: Warm Quinoa with Salmon and Celery
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 modest quinoa bowls, each with 85 g (3 oz) drained salmon and half the grain, celery and dressing
Ingredients: 80 g (2.8 oz) dry quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve and well drained; 240 ml (about 1 US cup) water; 170 g (6 oz) ready-to-eat canned salmon, drained weight, with skin and bones removed before weighing; 100 g (3.5 oz) celery, washed and cut across the stalk into 3 mm (⅛ in) slices; 15 ml (1 US tbsp) lemon juice; 10 ml (2 US tsp) olive oil; 10 g (0.35 oz) Dijon mustard; 5 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, about 2 US tbsp finely chopped; 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch; 0.2 g ground black pepper, a small pinch; 15 ml (1 US tbsp) additional water reserved only if the quinoa dries before becoming tender

2 modest quinoa bowls, each with 85 g (3 oz) drained salmon and half the grain, celery and dressing · Active 14 min · Cook 18 min · Total 40 min

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Canned salmon works best here after the quinoa is already tender. A little finely cut celery adds texture to the warm grain, while mustard and lemon make a simple dressing. Heat the assembled base evenly, then use the covered stand to finish before parsley goes in. The recipe includes the full salmon portion, not a few decorative flakes.

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Warm quinoa bowls with salmon flakes, celery and parsley.

Cook the dry grain first

Dry quinoa cannot be treated as a ready-cooked pouch. Rinse it through a fine sieve and give it measured water, a reduced-power simmer and a five-minute covered stand. The pale germ rings should open and the centers should be tender before adding the richer ingredients. Adding fish early would break up the flakes without helping hard grain cook.

Keep the celery small

Thin crosswise celery slices warm quickly and retain a little bite. The dressing is stirred through before the final heating, so there is no forgotten separate sauce. Break the drained salmon into small flakes and distribute them through the quinoa instead of leaving one dense cold mound in the center. Check several places with a thermometer after stirring.

Ingredients

80 g (2.8 oz) dry quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve and well drained
240 ml (about 1 US cup) water
170 g (6 oz) ready-to-eat canned salmon, drained weight, with skin and bones removed before weighing
100 g (3.5 oz) celery, washed and cut across the stalk into 3 mm (⅛ in) slices
15 ml (1 US tbsp) lemon juice
10 ml (2 US tsp) olive oil
10 g (0.35 oz) Dijon mustard
5 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, about 2 US tbsp finely chopped
0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch
0.2 g ground black pepper, a small pinch
15 ml (1 US tbsp) additional water reserved only if the quinoa dries before becoming tender

Set out

1000 W microwave with turntable, Microwave-safe bowl, 1.5 L (about 1.6 US qt) measured capacity, Microwave-safe vented cover, Fine sieve, Knife and board, Fork and spoon, Small dressing bowl, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Food thermometer, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls

Allergens

Fish (salmon), Celery, Mustard. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

Put the drained rinsed quinoa, water and salt in the 1.5 L bowl. Cover with the vented cover and microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, until bubbling. Stir, cover again, reduce to 30% power and cook for 10–12 minutes, checking once halfway through that the bottom is not going dry.
Leave the covered grain outside the microwave for 5 minutes. It should be tender, with germ rings visible and nearly all free water absorbed. If still firm with moisture present, add 30–60 seconds at 30% power and another 2-minute stand. If dry and still hard, add 15 ml (1 US tbsp) freshly measured water before that extra burst; allow the additional time.
Meanwhile mix lemon juice, olive oil, mustard and pepper in the small bowl. Break the salmon into small flakes with the fork. Fold all the dressing, salmon and finely sliced celery through the tender quinoa.
Cover and microwave at full power for 1 minute, stir carefully from the bottom, then cook another 1–2 minutes until 165°F/74°C in the middle and at several other positions. Add short bursts and recheck any cool spot. Stand covered for 2 minutes, then stir through all the parsley and divide the complete mixture between two bowls.

A complete canned-fish portion

Each bowl contains half the 170 g drained salmon as well as half the grain, celery and dressing. Choose enough cans to provide that actual prepared weight.

The parsley is the measured finish

All 5 g parsley is folded through the two portions. There is no extra lemon wedge, nut topping or separate salad required to make the photographed dish.

Ingredient labels

Check canned fish and mustard labels for additional ingredients. The tuna variation remains a fish-containing dish.

A useful detail

The 40-minute planning total allows rinsing and chopping, up to 18 minutes sequential heating, the 5-minute grain absorption and 2-minute final covered stand. Dressing and salmon preparation happen while the grain cooks. Further quinoa correction bursts extend the clock. The 170 g is drained boneless salmon actually used in the meal; it is not the total unopened can weight.

Another way

Use 170 g (6 oz) drained ready-to-eat canned tuna in place of salmon. Break it into small flakes and use the same fully hot assembled-meal endpoint.
Replace celery with 100 g (3.5 oz) finely diced cucumber, but keep it out of the final heating. Fold it in with the parsley after the covered stand for a cooler finish; keep the fish-quinoa base at the stated endpoint first.

Keep it well

Portion into shallow containers and refrigerate quickly, within 1 hour of the grain finishing, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 24 hours. Eat cold, or reheat once, covered with stirring, until 165°F/74°C throughout, followed by a 2-minute covered stand. Adding canned fish or dressing does not reset the quinoa's cooling clock.