Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
½ cup Kalamata olives
1 can Chickpeas
2 Avocados
3 Cherry tomatoes
1 bunch Cilantro
3 Limes
2 Jalapenos
2 cups Heavy cream (can also use milk or almond milk)
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt
Black pepper
Mint leaves
Cumin

Optional:
Crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons Butter
Total cooking time:
60 mins

Recipe:

  1. Add quinoa to lightly salted, boiling water and add some EVOO to ensure quinoa does not clump
  2. While the quinoa is cooking, make sure to stir often
  3. Once the water is fully absorbed by the quinoa, use a fork and its natural steam to fluff up the quinoa 
  4. While the quinoa is cooking soak chickpeas and save the water that comes from the chickpea can in a separate bowl
  5. After cutting cilantro leaves and stems, dicing jalapenos, and juicing 2 limes, place ingredients in blender / food processor
  6. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, and lightly sprinkle some black pepper in the mixture
  7. Boil cream / milk in a medium sized pot on medium and once it begins to bubble, lower the heat and add in the cilantro-lime sauce (Optional: brown butter prior to adding cream / milk to evoke nutty notes)
  8. Let the sauce reduce by half its volume, and add spices to fit taste
  9. In a separate chilled mixing bowl, pour chickpea water (aquafaba) in and mix using a hand-blender for 10 - 15 mins until it forms soft peak
  10. Take ripe avocado and dice, ensuring it retains its firm and firmness
  11. Place diced avocado in a bowl and add lime juice, salt, black pepper, and some cumin, and lightly mix
  12. Halve the pitted kalamata olives and combine with the drained chickpeas, quinoa, and optional crumbled feta
  13. Once the cilantro-lime sauce has cooled, fold the whipped aquafaba meringue into the sauce in thirds, ensuring it retains its soft peaks (Note: unlike egg whites, aquafaba can continuously be re-whipped if it begins to lose its shape and rigor)
  14. In a ramekin or small bowl, first place your quinoa salad into 3/4 of the bowl and top off with your diced avocado
  15. Using a plate, cover the top of the bowl and flip over so the avocado has now become your base, with your quinoa salad resting on top
  16. Gently lift the bowl creating a typical tartare shape, and carefully place the light, airy cilantro-lime sauce around the base of the salad, until you can no longer see the avocado
  17. Lastly, feel free to use any remaining ingredients to decorate the top of your salad (E.g., using whole cherry tomatoes, mint leaves, lime zest)