Southwestern Quinoa Salad

To roast poblano, turn on broiler of oven. Put poblano on cookie sheet and place under the broiler. Keep a close watch on poblano, turning every 30 seconds until the pepper is charred completely. Place poblano in a an airtight container and let steam for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes deseed poblano and remove some of the charred skin. Slice into one inch slices.

Next, make pesto by first placing pumpkin seeds in a pan over medium heat. Toast seeds until fragrant. In a food processor pulse cilantro, green onion, garlic, pumpkin seeds, and olive oil until a paste forms. Set pesto aside.

For the jalapeños, start by placing the sliced jalapeño, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool and set aside.

Start by making the quinoa. Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil and add quinoa. Cover, and allow the quinoa to simmer 10-15 minutes or until all stock is absorbed. While quinoa is hot toss with the pesto. Toss dressed quinoa with pickled jalapeño, tomatoes, roasted poblano strips, panela, and jicama. Salad may be served warm or at room temperature.

Guest Chef: Rayna Toomajian's love and appreciation of food stems from her extensive travels around the globe. After graduating from the University of Texas, Austin with degrees in both Latin American Studies and Spanish, Rayna set out to England to obtain her Masters. After graduation, Rayna traveled extensively throughout Europe and made a temporary home in France. This exposure to a wide variety of international cuisines prompted Rayna to begin a career in the culinary world. Rayna graduated Summa Cum Laude from Le Cordon Bleu at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin with a degree in culinary arts. After culinary school, Rayna was a Culinary Instructor and Chef at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. There she led cooking demonstrations and worked with some of the country's top chef's including Chef John Ash, Chef Ken Frank of La Toque and Celebrity Nutritionist Cheryl Forberg from NBC's The Biggest Loser." She then went on to become the Executive Chef at Tulocay and Co's Made in Napa Valley Culinary Centre. At the Culinary Centre, Rayna ran a tasting café, taught daily cooking demonstrations and developed recipes for Tulocay's gourmet pantry products. Rayna has also worked as a chef at Silver Oak Vineyards and taught culinary classes on Crystal Cruise Lines. She recently opened Marengo on Union with her newlywed husband, where she is the Executive Chef. Marengo on Union features Wine, Whiskey & Sliders in a casual and comfortable environment located in the Cow Hollow neighborhood.