Karen Harbour's most recent contribution to Tea Examiner is a wonderful tangy gluten free quinoa salad.  It's the lemony is complementary to poultry such as turkey, making it the perfect gluten-free Thanksgiving side dish. 

Mate Limon Corn off the Cob Quinoa Salad
The tart citrus flavors mixed with spicy chai flavors from the Mate Limon Chai Tea is tantalizing and easy to make.

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes / Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients : Tea Cooked Quinoa

•   3 cups red quinoa
•   2 TBS Mate Limon Chai (The Tea Spot tea)
•   6 cup water

Ingredients : Sautéed Veggies

•   3 TBS canola oil
•   1 red onion, sliced
•   1 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced• 1 red pepper, chopped
•   2 cups edamame
•   5 ears corn, roasted & cut off cob (or 1 – 16 oz can of corn)
•   1 lb cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Garnish: handful basil (about ¼ cup), thinly sliced

Ingredients: Tea Dressing

•   1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
•   2 TBS agave
•   1 lime, zest and juice
•   1 cup olive oil

Tea-Sonings: Tea + Seasonings = Tea-Sonings
Mix the following ingredients, yields about 1 ¾ TBS

•   ½ TBS MATE LIMON CHAI, finely grounded
•   ½ TBS sugar
•   1 tsp salt
•   ½ tsp garlic powder
•   ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Preparation:
1. Tea Cooked Quinoa: Place quinoa in medium pot. Sprinkle Mate Limon Chai over quioa. Add 6 cups cold water to pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Cook until soft but still a little crunchy. Drain any excess liquid.
2. Sautéed Veggies: In a sauté pan over medium – high heat, heat canola oil. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add shitakes and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Stir-in red pepper, edamame and corn. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn stove off and gradually mix in cherry tomatoes.
3. Tea Dressing: In a mixing bowl, whisk the agave, apple cider vinegar and lime zest and juice. Slowly add the oil whisking vigorously to emulsify the dressing (may be done in a food processor). Sprinkle in 1 TBS of Tea-soning, mix to combine, add more to taste.
4. To Plate: In a big serving bowl, coat the quinoa with ½ of the dressing. Add the sauté veggies, mix to combine. Add more dressing to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil.
Note: Save any leftover Tea Dressing in refrigerator. Use it to marinate chicken or toss in a salad.

More recipes by The Tea Spot Chef
Mango Tangy Pumpkin Butternut Soup
Red Rocks Sweet and Creamy Mash Potatoes
Baileys and Creme Tea Toddy (alcoholic)
Capetown Creme Tea Toddy (non alcoholic)

Find Karen's recipes on the Steep it Loose blog

About The Tea Spot Chef