Quinoa Salad

I love all of the health benefits associated with quinoa. I finally cooked it for the first time last weekend. I served it to a bunch of carnivores and they loved it. They even had seconds. I served it with a romaine salad, pita bread and hummus.

Both recipes come from Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way.

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grated orange rind
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil
6 red leaf lettuce leaves
5 TBSP pine nuts, toasted

In a colander, rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain. In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil, stir in quinoa, and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes, till liquid is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, and basil.

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, vinegar, orange rind, and salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Pour dressing over quinoa and toss well. Arrange each serving on lettuce and garnish with pine nuts.

Hummus

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini (found in the ethnic food section of your grocery store)
1/2 lemon, juiced (no seeds)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything into your blender or food processor and mix till smooth.

An authentic Greek person told me the hummus was delicious!