Grilled portobello-quinoa salad for Meatless Monday

Instructions

• Preheat barbecue to medium.

• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Rinse 2/3 cup quinoa with water. Drain. Stir into boiling water along with 1/8 tsp each salt and hot-red-chili flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 12 min. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 min. Fluff with a fork.

• Whisk 1/4 cup white vinegar with 3 tbsp dark sesame oil, 2 tsp liquid honey, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl until combined. Peel long strips from an English cucumber, turning it around as you go until you reach the seeds. Discard seeds. Place strips in a small bowl. Toss with one-third of vinaigrette.

• Lightly brush some of the remaining vinaigrette over 4 portobello mushrooms (stemmed and with gills scraped out) and 1 halved, cored and seeded red pepper. Oil grill and barbecue mushrooms until tender and peppers until tender-crisp, 5 to 6 min per side.

• Place 8 cups baby spinach in a large bowl, then toss with half the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange cucumber ribbons and spinach on 4 plates. Top with mushrooms. Finely chop peppers and stir into quinoa along with remaining vinaigrette. Fill mushrooms with quinoa mixture.