072711. It’s been pretty hot these days.
A lethargic, heavy, I-don’t-want-to-cook-or-eat-or-go-to-the-store kind-of hot.
“Like. Africa hot.” (name that movie?)
But there is a small person in the house who needs to eat.
And a smaller person in my uterus that demands nutrition, regardless of what I want.
So yesterday, I was rummaging through the refrigerator and realized I had a few ingredients.
And then, in about 15 minutes, I made this:
An easy peasy tabouli salad with quinoa instead of bulgar wheat.
And life somehow seemed better.
Lighter.
Cooler.
A little more lovely.
And even though I'm not a food blogger, I knew you’d want to know how to make some yourself.
- ½ c. quinoa
- 1 c. water
- 6 or 7 mint leaves (finely chopped)
- ¾ c. Italian parsley (chopped)
- 3 or 4 scallions (chopped)
- 2 medium ripe red tomatoes (chopped)
- juice from half a lemon
- 2 tbls. olive oil
- salt, to taste
In a saucepan, combine ½ c. quinoa with 1 c. of water (and a dash of salt). Bring to boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook until the water is evaporated (10-15 minutes). Take off the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. While you let it cool…
In a medium bowl, combine mint leaves, parsley, scallions and tomatoes. Add the quinoa. Add juice from half a lemon (a little more if you want a little more “tang”) and olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt, toss with a fork and pop it in the refrigerator for at least an hour… better if you let it rest overnight, but who has that kind of time, right?
It's sort of a perfect salad for a hot and muggy day ... a little protein, a little citrus, a little mint ... some spicy scallions ...
Served (to me and the LO and the OLO) on some pita bread with hummus … but you do what you want. It’s your salad.