Marinated, Warm Vegetable Salad.

This is a salad for those who need to eat an egg, or get a bit grounded. It is wonderful to create and very nutritious.

~Marinated, Warm Vegetable Salad with Quinoa~
1 Serving

1 small Red Beet, diced, ½ inch cubes
7 Asparagus spears, sliced into ¼ inch rounds (reserve 1 inch Asparagus tips for garnish)
2 cups Beet Greens, torn into 2 inch pieces
1 small Roma Tomato, sliced into ½ inch slices
4 tablespoons Whole Pumpkin Seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon Brown Sesame Seeds, toasted
½ cup Quinoa, steamed
½ cup Arame, soaked

~Toasted Seed Dressing~
1-2 Servings

2 tablespoons Tamari
¼ cup Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Agave
1 tablespoon Ginger, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried Red Chili-Pepper, crushed
4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

Directions~
1.   Bring the quinoa to simmer, covered, with just enough water to cover the top.
2.   In a steamer, steam the cubed beets. (All steamed vegetables of the salad must be lightly steamed and blanched in a bowl of cold water.)
3.   After 2-3 minutes, put the asparagus into the steamer, followed by the torn beet greens.
4.   After all the vegetables have steamed, put them directly into the cold water, and then drain the water.
5.   Proceed to soak the arame in enough water to cover it.
6.   Make the marinade. The marinade consists your tamari, rice vinegar, agave nectar, ginger, and red pepper.
7.   Soak the blanched vegetables along with the soaked and drained arame in the marinade.
8.   In a sauté pan, toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.
9.   After the seeds have toasted, put them in a food processor, along with the marinade, which must be completely drained from the vegetables when they are done soaking.
10.   Blend the seeds with the marinade together into a rich yet fluid dressing.
11.   To plate the salad, first create a base of beet greens, and then add the steamed quinoa. Add the marinated vegetables over the quinoa.
12.   Add the sliced tomatoes around the small, layered mound of salad, along with the reserved asparagus spears as a garnish.
13.   Lightly add the dressing along the sides of the salad. Salad may be further warmed in a heated oven if desired.