Summer Meals in Arizona: Greek Quinoa Salad

A few weeks ago, Danny and I went to a party for a club he is a part of. It was potluck and I brought these delicious cookies. I was really looking forward to going since one of the members of the club is a great cook. Her name is Lena and she is from Italy. She makes really fresh, really delicious food.  Of course, I am trying not to eat so many breads and pastas right which limits my choices in Italian food, but I was hopeful. To my delight, she had prepared a dish centered around farro and barley, so whole grains, and added a bunch of other things to add flavor. It was so good! I took note of all the little things she added and was determined to make a similar version at home. I opted to use quinoa since we had it in the house and it gives a kick of protein and I used feta instead of her choice of mozzarella, making it more Greek than Italian, in my eyes. So here you have it!

Greek Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (serves ~4 when cooked)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 C. grape tomatoes, halved and quartered
1 C. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 C. corn (I used canned corn)
1 C. Feta
fresh parsley, minced, to taste
garlic, minced, to taste
salt and pepper
Olive Oil, to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions and let cool. Prepare mix-ins: bell pepper, tomato, olives, corn, garlic, parsley. Add them to cooled quinoa, stirring well with each addition. Add cheese. Dress in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. (I prefer my quinoa a little saltier).

I have been eating this as is and atop a bed of lettuce (as pictured above). Both are delicious! :) If you wanted to add a little more protein, then you could easily pan fry some chicken and toss it in! And again, no oven, for the win!