Dinner tonight!: Scarlet quinoa salad

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Looking for something a little different for dinner? The quinoa salad from M Cafe is bright, refreshing and filling if you’re looking for something on the lighter side. Oh, and it’s vegan.

Quinoa is cooked with finely diced beets, which tint the quinoa a vibrant shade of red. Cool the quinoa, then add cucumber, lemon zest and herbs and toss the salad with a tangy fresh vinaigrette.

The recipe does require a little forethought when it comes to ingredients and a shopping list (you’ll need to buy umeboshi vinegar -- available at Whole Foods and Asian markets). And you might as well shop for extra of everything -- yeah, this salad is good enough you’ll probably want a double batch.

For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery here. Food Editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

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-- Noelle Carter
twitter.com/noellecarter