Aztec three sisters quinoa bowl

Peas in guacamole may outrage traditionalists, but it adds extra texture and sweetness here. It's a great complement to the bright crunch of the raw sugar snaps, zucchini and corn.

Turns out there is a downside to liking this superfood. Credit: Sharyn Cairns

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 200 g (1½ cups) cooked quinoa (see Note), warm or at room temperature
• 100 g sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved lengthways
• 4 zucchini flowers, halved lengthways
• 1 corn cob, kernels shaved

Pea guacamole

• 1 ripe avocado, stone removed and roughly mashed
• 1 small red Asian shallot, finely chopped
• 75 g (½ cup) frozen peas, thawed in cold water, drained
• lime juice, to taste

Chipotle chilli dressing

• 2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ tsp sugar

To garnish

• Persian feta (or similar soft style)
• micro coriander leaves
• toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Make the pea guacamole. Roughly mash the avocado together with the shallot using a fork. Stir in the peas and season with lime juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Make the chipotle chilli dressing. Place all of the ingredients in a glass jar, season with salt and pepper, seal with a lid and shake well. Adjust seasoning as desired. Set aside.

Arrange the quinoa, sugar snaps, zucchini flowers and corn kernels in separate piles in shallow bowls. Dollop over the guacamole. Drizzle over the dressing. Scatter over the garnishes.

Note

• To cook quinoa, place one part rinsed quinoa to two parts water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid ajar and cook for about 10 minutes or until the quinoa is tender but still chewy (a coil will spiral from the centre of each grain). If you prefer your quinoa more tender, add an extra 60 ml (¼ cup) water. Remove from the heat, wrap the lid with a tea towel and cover the pan to steam for 5 minutes – this ensures the quinoa fluffs up without getting soggy. 90 g (½ cup) raw quinoa yields 250 g (1½ cups) cooked.

 

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Peta Gray. Creative concept by Lou Fay.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.