Quinoa Salad w/ Arugula

A great idea for quinoa. Turn it into meal with a few veggies, nuts and lemony, herbed dressing. Serve hot or cold.

Quinoa Salad
2 cups cooked quinoa, hot or chilled
1 avocado, diced
1 nectarine, diced
1 cup mukimame (shelled cooked soybeans)
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
3 cups arugula
Optional: 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
2 teaspoons each minced parsley and chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons almond oil
Mix all salad ingredients together, except arugula and chicken or cheese. Whisk dressing ingredients together and stir into quinoa mixture. Serve quinoa on a bed of arugula, topped with chicken or feta if desired. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.

Hints: Thaw frozen mukimame by running water over it. I don't peel the nectarine but I do the cucumber. Spinach could be substituted for the arugula. This is a good vegan dish if you leave the chicken or cheese out because quinoa is quite high in protein. It is also gluten free if that is important to you. Without the cheese, it is dairy free as well.

I am learning to prepare quinoa in ways that we enjoy. New foods that are introduced into our lives are new opportunities to be creative. Some seem to be natural and we feel badly about all the years we lived without them. Others need some time to assimilate into our menus but turn out to be worth the effort. And some just never make the cut for one reason or another. I hope quinoa works out for you.