Quinoa Salad with Roasted Green Chilies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Halve chile peppers lengthwise. Remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until skins are blistered and dark. Carefully fold foil up and around pepper halves to enclose; let stand about 15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the skins; gently and slowly pull off the skin in strips. Cut peppers in bite-size strips. Set aside.
2. In a fine sieve thoroughly rinse the quinoa in cold water. In a medium saucepan combine quinoa and the 2 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Uncover; let stand about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook green onions in the 2 tablespoons hot butter until tender. Remove from heat. Cool.
4. For vinaigrette, in a small screw-top jar combine olive oil, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Cover; shake well to combine.
5. In a bowl toss cooked quinoa or couscous, roasted pepper strips, cooked green onions, vinaigrette, cilantro, and pine nuts. Stir until combined. Line a serving platter with lettuce. Top with salad and roasted pepper. Top with additional whole roasted peppers. Serve salad at room temperature. Makes 8 to 10 servings.