Comments (2) | Posted by Cassiday Proctor on August 31, 2009
Recipe time! Cassiday’s Quinoa Salad.
Posted in: FOOD!
My mom has lost a lot of weight recently, and she attributes a lot of it to eating a lot less meat, and eating a quinoa based salad for lunch. For those who don’t know, quinoa is a grain…and a very interesting one at that. It is very high in protein, which makes it good for everyone. It’s good for vegans and vegetarians because they are missing the proteins we carnivores get from our meat intake, and it’s good for meat eaters because it fills you up, negating the need to eat big portions of meat with your meal, or any meat at all. I bought some quinoa today from the bulk foods section in Central Market and gave it a test run today to see what I could make.The best part of the whole thing is this entire salad, which will probably last me and Jerry for the rest of the week if not longer, cost only about $7 total to make!! It’s affordable, healthy, filling, and tastes REALLY good.
I made up a little summer salad and it turned out great and yielded a LOT of food. This salad refrigerates well, so you could make your own version and eat a serving every day for lunch. It would also be a great side salad to compliment dinner. My mom says she takes 1/4 or 1/2 cup of the salad for lunch and just has it with water and is completely full until dinner rolls around. It’s a very hearty grain and really tasty too.
Cassiday’s Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients:
-2 C of quinoa(about 1 lb)
-4 C of chicken or vegetable broth (can be subbed with water and works the same-the broth just adds flavor)
-2 T olive oil
-2 T chopped garlic (I used the kind that comes in a jar cause I’m lazy)
-1 large zucchini squash diced (could use green or yellow. I used green)
-1/2 onion diced (I used yellow onion, but red would be tasty!)
-1 whole red bell pepper diced (would be good with red, yellow, and green if you’re feeling ambitious!)
-1/4 c red wine vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot combine the dry quinoa and the broth (or water). Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While the quinoa mixture is cooking, put olive oil, onions, and garlic in a saucepan and saute’ at medium heat. Cook until onions are fragrant and slightly golden, and then add in the squash and peppers. Stir mix frequently until mixture is sauteed, and veggies are slightly soft and slightly caramelized.
At this point, the quinoa mixture should be fluffy like rice and should have absorbed the liquid from the broth. Turn the heat on the pot to low and pour the veggie and oil mixture into the large pot containing the quinoa, add the vinegar over the top of the entire salad and toss gently with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Also would be good to garnish with fresh grated parmesean cheese or basil leaves. Serve hot or cold. One serving size is 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
Other things I think you could add to this salad or substitute in would be: tomatoes, bean sprouts, mushrooms, cucumbers and feta cheese (make it greek themed). What would you add to it?
Enjoy!!
Feel free to email me cass at mix947.com if you have any questions or any recipes you’d like to see on my blog! I love cooking and want to start a regular feature where I create a recipe or try a listener’s recipe and document it on my blog. Thanks and Bon Appetit!