Quinoa Salad

This evening I had my mom and dad over for supper. We made some turkey burgers... basically the same ingredients as my Feta Stuffed Meatloaf but I just mixed the feta right in with everything. I was a little concerned that they wouldn't stay together on the grill but the cornmeal did bind it together very well.

To go with our burgers I made the same Caesar Salad Dressing from last night - this time Jason BBQ'd some bacon to sprinkle on top for those of us who could indulge.

Although it's nice to stick with recipes you know when someone is coming over for dinner, I really wanted to try making a quinoa salad. It seems to be the ultimate food for a celiac/vegetarian and I happened to have a bag of it in the pantry. As I'm finding with most recipes lately, there's always something I can't have so I just end up making my own creation. Here's my quinoa salad creation:

Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups water
chopped english cucumber
2 chopped roma tomatoes
1/4 of an avocado (you can use more assuming you'll actually have a ripe one! I cut up a bit of mine but it sadly, it was pretty hard still so I put the rest in the fridge)

half a can of chickpeas, rinsed 

chopped dill

chopped parsley

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

splash of olive oil

a couple squirts of lime juice 

To cook the quinoa, put it in a pot with the water and bring to a boil on the stove. Once it reaches a boil turn the heat to low, cover and let rest for about 20 minutes. When you take the lid off you will be SHOCKED to find it has doubled in size and it will need to be fluffed with a fork. Let it cool before adding all of your chopped veggies, chickpeas, spices and oil. I do apologize for the lack of measurements. I just kept adding things and tasting until it was good so you will have to do the same!

This made a whole lot of quinoa.... like we're talking it could have fed probably 8 people. So cut it down if you're not feeding that many people but I do think the leftovers are going to make a fabulous lunch. I also left some of the quinoa aside so I could make another cold salad this week. In case you're wondering what that dark pupley blue thing is in the corner - we roasted some blue bird peppers and had a piece left over so I threw it in the mix for our lunches.

MY REVIEW: This was delicious! Things have been turning out lately when I just trust my instinct and go with the flow.  Eating gluten free forces you to create your own recipes and improvise and it's been kind of fun. I was happy to share a new seed with my family tonight!

JASON'S REVIEW: A tasty melange.