I was completely cooked out after the holidays--that's partly normal and partly a result of just feeling so stressed out over the completion of our house and the impending move. I was also really missing the holiday gatherings with friends and family; last year we were out of our own house but we could still get together and share food and conversation with people. Anyway...
I did have a socially distanced lunch with my very good friend, Marlyn, and she served this wonderful quinoa salad! I had to recreate it.
Today's cast!
I rinsed the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer.
Then added it to the water. It couldn't be easier--bring it to a boil, cover it and lower to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or till the water is absorbed. I always give it at least one good stir during the simmering process.
When the quinoa is done cooking, I fluffed it and took it off the heat to cool. Since I was going to make the salad for dinner, I refrigerated the quinoa for a couple of hours.
Marlyn's recipe didn't provide measurements for every ingredient so there's a bit of eyeballing going on. I quartered some cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, tossed them with the quinoa, and when I thought the proportions were good, I stopped.
Same thing with the chopped basil.
The original recipe called for walnuts as an optional ingredient. I decided to use sliced almonds.
A bunch of minced garlic and some shredded Parmesan were added next.
I zested and juiced a large lemon.
Then whisked in the avocado oil, kosher salt and pepper.
I topped the quinoa with arugula, added the dressing and tossed everything around. It went back into the fridge to meld for a couple more hours.
Shredded chicken can be added but I left it vegetarian since I served it with beef. It's so tasty! It's also light and very refreshing. It was a welcome change after the heavy meals and sweets the holiday brought.
Hoping for a 2021 that allows gatherings again!
Here is the promised recipe:
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