I have been looking for healthy protein sources and then someone told me Quinoa was a perfect protein. I have liked Quinoa for years but usually used it as a breakfast food with honey and raisins or plain with butter and salt. I never considered it an entrée ingredient before. I am not sure why since it is a most versatile plant, much like rice can be used in an infinite number of combinations. I decided to make Quinoa Salad and came up with the following recipe (Use whatever measurements you like. I usually just wing it.):
2 cups Quinoa, Uncooked
Vine ripened tomatoes, cubed
Cucumbers, peeled and cubed (seeded if not lazy)
Purple Onion, diced
Feta cheese, cubed
Fresh Mint, chopped
Fresh Dill, chopped
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Balsamic vinegar
Gazebo Room dressing, Balsamic (optional)
Fresh green beans, blanched and chopped (optional)
This recipe has great kitchen sink potential. I would have preferred black olives in it, but I had fresh green beans instead which I cut the ends off and blanched in a steamer to retain crispness. Other options are to use Edamame beans or Garbanzo beans. I imagine it would taste quite nice with grilled chicken chunks as well.
First cook the Quinoa as specified on the package. Sometimes you are required to strain and rinse the seeds first. Then prepare all the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss together. Make sure to wait until the Quinoa is entirely cooled. My feta melted pretty seriously in this last batch of salad because I was in a hurry and tossed it all together while it was still too warm. That’s why the picture makes it look kind of mushy. Then you want to make your dressing. Gazebo Room dressing has MSG so you may want to not use it if you are eating “clean”. However, the taste of it really made the salad. Mix the dressing into the salad and you’re done. I took this to a party a couple of weeks ago with Edamame instead of green beans and it was gone within an hour. People raved and asked for the recipe so here it is.
