Sunday night I went to a marriage mentor group and it was requested that I bring a salad! I do love a fancy salad! Getting creative and figuring out how to make a new dressing, using fun ingredients and pumping up the taste and flavors… the BEST!
This one I found the original recipe on a website about the Mediterranean Diet and altered the salad adding a bit more flavor to it and hit the JACKPOT! It was delicious! The only thing I’d change is that I would have made it a bit more dry than I did. I added WAY more olive oil and lemon juice than they did originally… and I’d go half-way between the two… So the recipe below is exactly halfway between what I made, and the original recipe (on the amount of olive oil and lemon juice)
This one can be filling as a main dish for lunch, or an awesome side dish for a grilled hamburger night, or brats or pizza!
Make this one tonight! 🙂
Fresh Quinoa Avocado Spinach Salad
Ingredients
1/3 cup diced FRESH basil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 of a English Hothouse cucumber sliced and quartered
*Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove a bitter substance called saponin that coats the seeds.
Directions
- In a 1-1/2-quart saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. (OR, as I did, use your Rice Cooker… EASY!)
- Transfer quinoa to a medium Mixing Bowl. Add tomato, spinach, basil, cucumber, and onion; stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic powder, oil, and salt. Add to quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Add the diced avocado and gently toss.
- Sprinkle with some of the feta. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
Fresh AND filling!!
And now, for the quote of the day:
Dancin' and Cookin' in the Kitchen! 