Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Tasty Tuesdays - #1 - Greek Quinoa & Avocado Salad




People always ask me if I miss meat being a Vegetarian, but to be honest - even before I made the conscious decision - when you're single and you don't have roommates (besides the four-legged kind) - I rarely prepared meat and looked for simple dishes that wouldn't leave me with heaps of leftovers.

This Greek Quinoa Salad with Avocado did the trick for me this past weekend.  Fresh, easy, and flavorful! 

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained*
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (1 small)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Spinach leaves
  • 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced**
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions

1. 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.

2. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl. Add tomato, spinach, and onion; stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add to quinoa mixture; toss to coat.

3. Place spinach leaves on 4 salad plates. Arrange avocado slices on spinach leaves. Spoon quinoa mixture over avocado slices. Sprinkle with some of the feta. Makes 4 main-dish servings.
Helpful hints
*Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove a bitter substance called saponin that coats the seeds. 
**Brush avocado slices with additional lemon juice to prevent browning. 

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