Such a Snoop: Quinoa Salad

I'll admit it, I totally peek into other people's shopping carts and create imaginary lives for them based on what they're purchasing.  To be fair, I do the same with my cart - looking at the contents and imagining how they portray my life.

I can't help it, food says so much about who you are! And looking in my shopping cart would have most people scratching their heads, I'm sure with our range of items from Nesquik to buckwheat soba noodles.

This morning, as I was dropping Thatbaby off at daycare and putting his lunch away my eyes we caught by one of his classmate's lunches-quinoa! We're big quinoa fans in Thathouse, but I don't think it's a typical toddler lunch. But it should be. We started using it on a more regular basis as a protein substitute when Thatbaby was refusing to eat meat and it remains a regular part or our meal plan.

Now that summer's here we move from warm quinoa casseroles to cold quinoa salads.  Quinoa salads are incredibly versatile, limited only by what you have in your fridge.  Throw in some olives, feta, and tomato and you have a Greek salad.  Walnuts and apple make for a great fall salad.  Grapefruit, watermelon, and feta make for a fantastic summer salad.  This one goes for a bit of a southwestern theme with jalapeno and avocado.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa

3 cups water

1  cucumber, peeled and diced

1 red onion, minced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 jalapeno, with seeds and ribs removed, and minced

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 avocado, sliced

1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.  Add quinoa and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  
2. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. 
3. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the quinoa and avocado, toss and adjust seasoning as necessary.