Quinoa and vegetable salad with lemon vinaigrette

Many people think that having a gluten allergy leads to insanity. Much to the dismay of my local psychotherapist, Bob's Redmill All purpose flour allows me to enjoy the foods I love without having a painful (or embarrassing) reaction. 

When you have a toddler, it's imperative to find recipes that are 'quick and easy' - otherwise, you end up eating chips and salsa with four sides of chardonnay. For this reason, (and because I don't look my best in an apron) everything I make is fairly simple with the bonus of being arguably more healthy.

*Tip: Make it the night before since it's intended to be served cool. 

                                    

Ingredients
2 cups water

3/4 teaspoon  salt , divided

1 cup  quinoa

1/4 cup  lemon juice

3 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

2 small garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1  small bell pepper, diced

1 cup  grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 a diced cucumber

1/2 cup  chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup  chopped fresh mint

Step 1:

Cook the quinoa in the 2 cups of water. Set it aside to cool. (I put it in the fridge to cool because I am incredibly impatient.)

Step 2:

Vinaigrette time. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. 

Step 3:

Veggie time. Toss parsley, mint, bell pepper, tomatoes and cucumber together in a large bowl. 

Unsolicited advice:

I like to color coordinate my vegetables. If you are not OCD about the appearance of salad, substitute red peppers for yellow because red ones have significantly more Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

 

Step 4:

 Add the cooled quinoa and veggies to the vinaigrette and gently mix to coat.

Step 5:

Pour yourself some vino and enjoy!