Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad

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avocado, cilantro, corn, lemon vinaigrette, quinoa, red quinoa

Hey there! You found my old site. You must be a detective. Come and see this post and much more at Tastefully Julie.

 

Quinoa (keen-wah) is considered a “superfood” because it contains more protein than any other grain. It’s also a source of complete protein, meaning that it provides all of the essential amino acids. Other grains, such as rice or barley, provide only half of the essential amino acids. Wait a minute, maybe that’s because quinoa is not a grain at all, it’s a seed! Oh well, it’s hyped as a grain because of it’s shared characteristics and similar cooking methods.

One thing I do know is that quinoa, in all its crunchy, nutty glory, is delicious and super good for you. I got addicted to this prepared salad at Wegmans over the summer. There’s nothing worse than driving there just for this salad and finding out they don’t have it that day. Wait, yes there is. Driving there to get it and finding it full of brown avocados. Gross! If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups red quinoa, cooked and chilled
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 avocado, sliced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3/4 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro*
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup lemon vinaigrette (store-bought or homemade)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

*There are two cilantro camps: the “‘Oh my god I love it!’ camp” and the “‘Oh my god I hate it!’ camp”. There is literally no in between. If you hate it, try parsley or a bit of mint instead.

The hardest part about this is making the quinoa. Those seeds are finicky little buggers. I like to err on the side of caution by using a little less water than recommended. Mushy quinoa is so bad it must go directly in the trash. You can always add more water if it’s dry and cook it longer.

This is the easiest way to slice an avocado. Make horizontal and vertical cuts being careful not to go through the skin and into your fingers! Then just scoop it out.

To assemble the salad simply add all of the ingredients to a bowl and gently mix. I like to toss the avocados in the dressing first to give them a good acidic coating. Just say “no” to brown avocados.

Adapted from Wegmans

This recipe is featured on Real Food Wednesday

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Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

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balsamic dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, balsamic vinegar, homemade dressing, olive oil, salad dressing, vinaigrette

This post was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend (who shall remain nameless) a few days ago. This friend was telling me about a salad she had at a local restaurant which was, according to her, the best salad in the world. I was obviously intrigued. She told me the salad consisted of roasted vegetables atop baby spinach with balsamic dressing and feta cheese. Immediately I’m thinking, “mmmm, that would be even better with goat cheese. Wait, no, pan fried, breaded goat cheese…”. I digress. But I’ll be posting THAT recipe shortly.

Anyhow, she said she tried to make the same salad at home but it wasn’t as good because she had to use bottled dressing. I said, “oh, you could have made your own. It’s easy”. Her eyes widened and she said, “oh, I know but this dressing is really special. The owner told me she makes it herself with barely any sugar!”. Convinced this argument was futile, I agreed, “oh, that is special!”

It occurred to me that maybe not everyone knows how easy it is to whip up your own dressing. Balsamic dressing is especially forgiving. The following is a basic recipe. You can increase or decrease the vinegar depending on the level of tartness you prefer. Frankly, I hardly ever measure, but it goes something like this ~

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard (I use Gulden’s spicy brown mustard)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• salt and pepper

You can whisk all the ingredients together really well or put them in a bottle and shake the heck out of them. I actually blend everything in my 2-cup food processor and it stays nice and emulsified. The choice is yours. This dressing will keep longer than it will remain in your fridge.

Friends don't let friends buy bottled balsamic dressing.