Chipotle Roasted Corn & Quinoa Salad with Prawns

Today's post is short and sweet, kinda like the remaining days of summer.  In between picking loads of strawberries at the U-Pick, and doing loads of laundry, and checking on the garden and checking the clock I thought I'd squeeze in a quick post to tell you about this awesome salad.  Wait a second, back up Renee, what's the deal with watching the clock?  Well, by handsome man returns from his holidays tonight, in exactly 4.25 hours and I'm just a wee bit excited.  It's been a long long long nine days.  Funny thing is we both booked our holidays before we met way back in April, and the funnier thing is that we both went to the Windsor/Detroit/Toronto area for our time off.  Neato, huh?  It's just one of many good signs guiding our way.  Warning:  I could go all mushy and stuff on you in this post.  Just sayin'.

So let me tell you about this salad cuz it's darn good, and can be pulled together in no time.  Quinoa.  It's the darling of the grain world and I love it to bits.  Made a super good breakfast cereal earlier in the week and it's nice to have quinoa hanging out in the fridge too for salads like this.  So go ahead and cook a couple of cups off and you'll have meals in minutes.  Now about the corn.  This salad is excellent if you have corn on the cob left over.  Just slice it off and you are good to go.  If not, then place some frozen corn on a bake sheet, toss with a little olive oil and chili powder, roast it and it's yum too.  Corn.  I love it right about now.  Don't you?

Freshen everything up with chopped red pepper, a few diced cherry tomatoes, cilantro and chives and brighten it up with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and make it all sweet and smoky with a maple chipotle vinaigrette.  Poached prawns pump up the volume and it all mingles together like a happy family.  I'm crazy about this salad, just like I'm crazy about my handsome man.  Excellent.  Another hour has passed.  Only 3.25 to go until I'm in the arms of the man I love.  God, how corny can I be?!

Chipotle Roasted Corn & Quinoa Salad with Prawns

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
14-16 large prawns, thawed, rinsed
2 cups corn, off the cob or roasted
1/2 red pepper, chopped small
few cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup minced chives
juice of 2 1/2  limes
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tbsp maple syrup
salt, pepper to taste

Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it thoroughly under cold, running water.  Bring water to boil in a saucepan and add quinoa, bring to boil again.  Cover, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve and put back in pot and cover for 5 minutes to steam.  Place in a large bowl and let cool. 
Bring water to boil in saucepan.  Add prawns and cook until they turn pink, just a couple of minutes.  Strain, place in bowl and squeeze half a lime over them. Let cool. 
If your corn is cooked and ready to go - awesome.  If not, place about 2 cups of frozen corn on bake sheet.  Toss with olive or grapeseed oil, about 2 tbsp.  And about 1 tbsp of chili powder.  Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.  Let it cool. 
Add cooked corn, prawns and the rest of the veg and herbs to the quinoa.  Whisk together the citrus juice, oil, minced chipotle peppers and maple syrup and pour over salad.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Best if refrigerated for about 30 minutes to chill and let flavours marry.  Serves 2-4