Quinoa Salad with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

Quinoa Salad with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes

The last five years of my mom’s life, in particular, she was a health nut. She was determined to fight her illness and one of the ways she chose to do that was by eating only food that nourished her body. She gave up gluten and became an advocate for quinoa. In my family, I’ve had a hard time selling quinoa to the kids. I find that it has a rather green, unripened taste to it – more so than the grains we are used to such as wheat. To lessen this grassy taste, I toast my quinoa before I cook it. My mom would have loved this salad, especially using herbs and cherry tomatoes from her own garden. Although, she would have used Balsamic vinegar, her favorite, as opposed to the sherry vinegar I use.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
1 handful basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2-3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Couple pinches of salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium pot, heat two tablespoons olive oil. Add in your shallots and saute over medium-low heat until softened about 4-5 minutes.
Pour in your quinoa and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring often so the quinoa does not burn.
Pour in your water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, about 12 minutes or until all water has been absorbed by the quinoa. Remove from heat and let sit for another 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine your quinoa with the tomatoes, spinach, basil, feta, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper. Taste. Add the remaining vinegar and olive oil if you feel it needs it.
Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

YIELD: Serves 6 to 8