I am a huge fan of quinoa. It packs a micro-nutrient punch and it is a good source of protein, in fact, it is one of the few vegetarian sources of protein that contains all 9 essential amino acids. (Essential amino acids are protein building blocks that your body cannot produce so you must consume them in your diet.) Plus, it is quick to cook. Oh! And, in my humble opinion, it is tasty. My children disagree with this opinion vehemently. So, in my endeavour to feed my children a healthy, nutrient dense diet, I keep trying. I add quinoa to soups, casseroles, tuck it under saucy curries and add it to salads.
This salad was a break through. Not only did they both eat it, they both liked it. One child, who is a, self-proclaimed, hater of that innocent little seed, said, "That quinoa salad was, surprisingly, good."
See for yourself...
Greek-style Quinoa Salad
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 or 2 tsp oregano (depending on how intense you want the oregano flavour)
juice from half a lemon
black pepper to taste
Salad
1 cup dry quinoa
water for cooking quinoa
1 long English cucumber chopped
1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
2 red, yellow or orange peppers chopped
1/2 a red onion finely chopped
1 can chickpeas drained + rinsed
1 block feta cheese crumbled (I use fermented tofu instead)
pitted kalamata olives (I used the rest of the small jar that I opened for the dressing)
2 big handfuls or one small bag of rocket
Directions
Dressing
Add all ingredients to a blender of food processor and blend until combined. You can also do this by hand by finely chopping the olives and whisking it all together
Salad
Cook quinoa according to package directions making sure to wash it first.
Add cooked quinoa to a large bowl and stir to release some of the heat
Once quinoa has cooled stir through the dressing
Add all of the rest of the salad ingredients other than the rocket and stir to combine
Once the salad is well combined and you have adjusted the dressing/seasoning to you liking mix in the rocket
Options:
This is also delicious with chopped or sliced avocado on top or a big dollop of hummus. One of my children is not big on dressing so this is a mildly dressed salad, for those of you who like a bit more you can double the dressing recipe and serve the rest on the side.
Do let me know if you try it
To wellness!
April