Quinoa Salad

In the past year, Quinoa has quickly become my favorite grains. I love the subtle crunch that it has when cooked and that it is so high in protein.

Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown for its edible seeds. It’s considered a “pseudocereal,” — not a true cereal, not a grain, since it’s not a grass. It’s related to species like beets, spinach and tumbleweeds and is 6,000 years old and is native to the Andean region of South America. 

The main reason its star is on the rise here is because of its incredible nutritional value, as well as it's ability to take on so many other flavor. 

Quinoa and Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup Quinoa

- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

- 2 Handfuls of Kale

- Cherry Tomatoes

- Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers

- Japanese Eggplant

- EVOO

- Sea Salt

1. Instead of cooking the Quinoa in water I choose to use Chicken Broth in order to give a little added flavor.

2. While the Quinoa is in the pot cooking I diced up all of the vegetables.

 

3. Next I took all of the vegetables and tossed them in a pan with some EVOO and sea salt. 

4. Once the Qunoia was finished cooked I added into the pan of vegetables and let it sit covered for a few minutes. 

This recipe is easy as can be and can be done with any vegetables you have sitting around. Quinoa is also a great addition to salads as well. 

I decided to pair the Qunioa Vegetable salad with 3ox of Rotisserie Chicken Breast to make for a filling balanced lunch.