Quinoa Salad

 When I was first introduced to quinoa (keen-wah) a few years back, I was totally floored!  It is the most versatile grain around and has tons of benefits!  You've got your fiber, your protein (huge when you are eating a plant based diet), low in sugar, low in fat, contains iron (huge benefit for most women), no salt and the list goes on.  The Incas considered it sacred giving their warriors stamina!!

Oh yeah, it's gluten free as well!!  Yippee!

You can use quinoa as a breakfast porridge, a pilaf or a salad.  You can add whatever veggies you have in your fridge and start experimenting!  You really can't mess this up!  If I had tomatoes in the house I would have used them too!

This is what I came up with today ...

Veggie Quinoa Salad
(can you tell I just winged this?)

1 cup of quinoa cooked in broth
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups of roasted corn kernels
1 avocado cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cucumber cut into cubes
1/2 small onion (if desired)
1 cup of canned chick peas, rinsed
feta cheese ... as much as you like
fresh mint ... to taste
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh lemon juice (I squeezed 2 medium sized)
1 tablespoon of olive oil 
1 fried egg (I love mine cooked all the way through ... not runny, but however you like it!)

Cook quinoa with broth according to package directions. Be sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking.

While quinoa is cooking, combine corn, avocado, cucumber, onion (if desired), feta cheese, chick peas and fresh mint.  Juice lemons.  Add olive oil to the lemon juice.  Top with sea salt and ground fresh pepper.

Mix vegetables with lemon dressing.

Add to the quinoa and mix.

Top salad with fried egg.  Season as desired.

Yay!  A perfect avocado!

You can use red or yellow quinoa for this ...

 

Enjoy!

Krista