April 17, 2024

Arugula, Peach, Quinoa Salad

August 18, 2014 by

Recently a friend told me about this delicious ‘rice’ salad that she and her family were enjoying that she purchased at her favorite grocery store from the fresh salad bar. Well, as it turns out it wasn’t rice (when I questioned her thoroughly) but red quinoa!  Oh, I do love quinoa…so I was quite interested!  Here is my variation on this salad.  You can surely make this ‘your own’ by varying the fresh veggies added, what type of fruit you put in (berries would also be lovely!), the kind of vinaigrette you use (perhaps use your family’s favorite bottled vinaigrette!), and what variety of nuts you sprinkle across the top!  I would love to hear how you changed it up; leave a comment below!

Quinoa <kEEn-wah> is a grain but it is the seed that we eat! (Good news for those who eat low-carb, right?)  And it is jam-packed full of protein.  Have you and your family enjoyed quinoa before?  To find quinoa in your grocery store, check the natural food section, or the rice/pasta aisle.  Usually when I prepare a pot of quinoa, I make extra to use for another meal. Our favorite is ‘red’ quinoa although it also comes in white (or golden), and black variations. Check out these nutritional facts.  This light salad fits well into our ‘healthy but oh-so-yummy’ POV since it has a great vegetable protein base, and lots of fresh veggies and fruit!  Serve it alongside something yummy from the grill—chicken, shrimp, or salmon, for example.  Oh, and if you DO grill…throw the peaches on the grill for 5 minutes or so, too!  Enjoy!

Quinoa, Peach and Arugula Salad

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ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
1+3/4 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup mango (or orange) juice
1 tablespoon honey, agave or maple syrup (optional)
2-3 splashes of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula
2 ripe peaches (or mango), chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup cucumber, small dice
handful of sugar snap peas (defrosted from frozen OR fresh)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup nuts (pistachios, pignoli, chopped almonds)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions:

  • prepare quinoa: bring water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the quinoa, bring back to boil, stir, cover, and then reduce heat to very low and simmer until the water is absorbed (10-15 minutes).  remove from the heat, keep covered, and let sit for 5 minutes.  fluff up with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool2014-08-17 18.59.45 HDR
  • make vinaigrette:  whisk together the juice, garlic, sweetener (if using), balsamic, and s&p; slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk away ‘til thoroughly emulsified. (this can be done in your food processor or using an immersion blender)
  • assemble:  add the veggies, arugula and herbs to the quinoa already in the large mixing bowl, ; toss together
  • pour 3/4 of the vinaigrette evenly over the mixed salad; season well with additional s&p to taste
  • top with sliced peaches, nuts, and cheese

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Grilled Chicken Supper Salad

July 7, 2014 by

What do you call the meal you eat in the evening…supper or dinner? Just curious! So it appears that this has turned into a mini-series…these last few recipes have focused on lighter meals that are easier to prepare and don’t heat up the kitchen.  Perfect for summer suppers!  (See, that’s what I call the evening meal.)

During these warmer months, I prefer to keep a tub of greens all prepared in the refrigerator to make it quicker to pull together one of these supper salads two or three times each week. Fortunately, Robert really enjoys salad for supper, too! And, like most men, he is very appreciative of something hearty either in or served along with the salad.  Oh, and bread too…really enjoys his bread!  So there is no excuse, as far as I can see, not to have the fixin’s for salad ready to go what with all the luscious produce available at the grocery store AND local farmer’s markets. This week, one meal we had was topped with grilled chicken breast…yum! This fits well into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV! Low in fat, high in protein!

I have a tip that you might find helpful: when I purchase chicken breast, I repackage them into meal-size portions to store in the freezer. And, most times, before freezing it, I pound or flatten them so that they are similarly thick throughout the whole piece. I find this makes them cook more evenly when used whole; and also are easier to dice or slice when you need to cut them up. Here’s a tutorial you might check out...has some great ideas!

I would LOVE to hear of your favorite salad combinations!

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Grilled Chicken Supper Salad

ingredients:
—  chicken breast
—  2-3 tablespoons favorite marinade or salad dressing
greens:  choose your favorite combo of lettuces with a mixture of textures (bibb, butter, romaine, spring mix, radicchio, arugula, cabbage, spinach, kale, etc.
other veggies cut into bite-size bits:  carrots, tomatoes, cukes, celery, onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
additional add-ins:  olives, avocado, hard-boiled egg, artichokes, nuts, fruit (fresh or dried), fresh herbs
—  salad dressing
—  sea salt and freshly ground pepper

directions:

  • thaw chicken, if necessary.  pour marinade into bag or container along with the chicken and allow to rest for 30 minutes or so
  • grill chicken ‘til thoroughly cooked through (temperature of 160 degrees); set aside to rest ‘til balance of meal is prepared
  • add 2-3 generous handfuls (per serving) of the lettuces to a big serving bowl
  • throw in the veggies of your choice and toss together
  • top with any other add-ins you choose
  • serve with dressing on the side and s&p for seasoning

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Please don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,