I went to a fun 4th of July party at my neighbor’s home this year. This is the salad that I took. It is quick, healthy and tastes great.
I started the morning at the farmers market, so that influenced what I put in (plus some veggies like the turnips left from last week). I am always glad to see the cats interested in vegetables.
You can put just about any vegetable into this salad. I think the main secret for a quinoa salad is to slice everything very thinly. That way you get a variety of flavors in one bite, without any one thing overwhelming it.
Quinoa Vegetable Salad
1 cup quinoa (regular or red)
½ tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tablespoon cumin
½ turnip – thin julienne
3-4 leaves lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale), thinly sliced
1 ½ red onion, thinly sliced
cup golden beet, grated (can substitute carrots)
1 apple, finely chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered or chopped almonds
Dressing: 3 TBSP olive oil, 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 1 heaping teaspoon mustard (I happened to use passion fruit but usually use Dijon), 1/2 tsp agave nectar (or honey), 1 minced garlic.
Steam the 1 cup of quinoa and seasonings (which are optional) in 2 cups of water. I use a rice cooker. It takes about 15 – 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. When it is done, fluff it with a fork and let it cool.
Mix the cooled quinoa with the vegetables, fruit and nuts. Toss with salad dressing.
I’m going to see the movie Food Inc this afternoon, so I’ll probably be writing about that soon. I also have been doing some research on probiotics – and will share some of what I learned. So stay tuned for more!
Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website: http://healthyhabitscoach.com . Eat Sustainably!
