Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Quinoa with Chopped Salad, Hummus Toast

Day 2: Another old standby that I've made several times, it's wonderful - and great for lunch too.

Check out the beautiful base for the salad:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of red onion, diced (I put in a little too much, glad Derek was gone)
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 tomato (medium), diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (note: another learning from my cooking class, use all of the cilantro, don't separate the leaves, the stalk is the most flavorful part...just remove the very ends and then chop it all up!)
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock/water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1-2 T. EVOO
2 t. red wine vinegar
a few drops of hot sauce
salt and pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa, thoroughly
2. Bring vegetable stock/water to a boil and add quinoa. Return to a boil and turn heat down to low, simmer for 20 minutes covered. After cooked, removed from heat for 2 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Cool.
3. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and transfer to a bowl.
4. Mix the lemon juice, EVOO, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper until blended.
5. Add cooled quinoa.
5. Pour dressing over the vegetables/quinoa and mix thoroughly.
6. Optional: Top with some goat cheese (I did on my first day of leftovers - good!)

I served it atop a small bed of spinach, toasted up some of that great whole wheat bread and spread some of my Trader Joe's Cilantro/Jalapeno Hummus on top...wonderful!

The quinoa salad can be varied depending on the ingredients on hand. I think the addition of chickpeas could be great. Or perhaps go Greek with some feta, cucumber, tomato, chickpeas, and olives!

Or MAYBE a moroccan version with some cooked carrots, peas, golden raisins, curry, chickpeas...

Using the base of deliciously nutty, protein packed qunioa...

(Whole Foods Information on Quinoa: Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids.)

the salad options are endless!

Night 2 Entertainment: "Seven Pounds" - OK movie...Will Smith is great.

No comments:

Post a Comment