In a continued effort to save money and get healthier we are trying to eat more veggies and less takeout. This effort culminated in the creation of a new recipe this past Sunday.
I really wanted take out Chinese food, REALLY wanted it. As my luck would have it recent plumbing work had depleted any fun money, and my favorite Chinese food spot is closed on Sunday anyway.
So around lunch time I padded into the kitchen to see what I could come up with. I started with a grain base, since we were out of rice I chose Quinoa, then I started grabbing and chopping any veggies I could find. I threw in a dash of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic and voila! It was the perfect, albeit not Chinese, salad dish.
I served it stuffed into warm pitas with just a smear of hummus on the inside. It would also be great with crackers for dipping, or as a side dish with some baked fish. It satisfied my craving and we could go about our day.
Don’t worry, I will have my veggie lo mein one day soon, as long as the plumbing holds up around here. If you make this leave me a comment and let me know how you like it.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
½ Cup Dry Quinoa
1 Cup Vegetable Stock, Chicken Stock, or Water (for cooking the quinoa)
3 Smallish Tomatoes, Diced (I’ve been buying the Campari tomatoes lately and they are good!)
4 Baby Bella Mushrooms, Diced
½ Purple Onion, Diced
½ Cucumber, Peeled and Diced
½ to 1 Whole 14.5oz Can Garbanzo Beans, Drained and Rinsed
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
14 Black or Kalmata Olives, Diced
½ Cup Feta Cheese
½ Cup Chopped Fresh Greens (for my salad I used a mix of kale and spinach)
2 to 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 to 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Cooking the Quinoa: Cooking directions for Quinoa can vary based on which package you buy. I buy a bulk bag at Costco so I am going to give you cooking directions based on that brand. If you buy another brand with different directions just substitute their cooking directions in place here.
Combine ½ cup dry Quinoa with 1 cup stock or water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
In a medium sized bowl combine the Quinoa,chopped veggies, beans, and feta cheese.
In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Pour oil mixture over veggie mixture and toss lightly.
Serve with warm pita bread or crackers.
