Students watch demonstration, eat creation
By Madison Mings
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Chairs were set up in the A.Lincoln Commons in front of a table full of ingredients. Students and faculty gathered around to see what was happening.
Lincoln Land’s culinary arts students hosted a healthy eating demonstration by Nancy Sweet, and two student assistants, LeeAnn Stouffe and Brianna Yost.
Not a lot of students sat down. Most watched for a bit, then left.
Sweet’s first round of the health demonstration was with Stouffe, making a quinoa salad with craisins and pecans.
Sweet gives a walk-through of it being quick and easy to make, while Stouffe was in charge of chopping and cutting the mint and parsley. Sweet also was adding vinegar with the uncooked quinoa, while telling students you can eat the salad with grilled chicken for either lunch or dinner.
Students asked Sweet questions about the meal. She answered them as Stouffe prepared samples for the spectators.
When the first round was over, students tasted the sample.
“It taste pretty good. It’s kind of sweet,” Joseph Ollis said.
Joseph Colonius added: “It taste good, has an acidic flavor because of the vinegar. It works with it being cold, but I would also like to try it hot. It has a bold flavor, but it’s not to overpowering with it.”
The salad is easy to make in the time of 5 to 10 minutes, with the fresh foods to make it healthy.
Sweet has been doing these health demonstrations for the past three years, with this being her third healthy eating demo.
A previous dish made last year was Israeli couscous salad, and the year before was tabbouleh salad, which was very popular.
The quinoa salad with craisins and pecans was something new that I had tasted but once I ate more of it, it tasted really good, so I would recommend trying it out yourself.
Quinoa salad
with craisins and pecans
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
About 1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons cider or red vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon honey
4 green onions sliced
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Bring 2 cups of water to boil in saucepot on stove. Add quinoa; cover reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat, set aside, and let cool slightly.
Whisk together cider vinegar, mustard, and honey. Slowly add in olive oil until combined. Set aside
In a large mixing bowl combine quinoa, green onions, Craisins, and pecans. Mix in vinaigrette. Add in mint and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Can be served cold or at room temp.
Madison Mings can be reached at [email protected].