Whole Grain Side Dish

I’m spending my last night in Florida, and I have to say, I’m really gonna miss this weather! It has been beautiful in the 60s and 70s and I’ve been working on my laptop at my Mom’s looking out on a quiet lake with the windows open. It will be hard to get used to the cold temps in NYC again, but I’m itching to get back to my regular schedule of work, dance classes, and cooking.

I made dinner for my mom tonight and whipped up this easy quinoa side dish as a side to some pork tenderloin and salad with fresh greens. I made the quinoa earlier in the day and then added the toppings at the last minute. I’m thinking of taking it as a snack to the airport tomorrow too. Hoping I can fly in before the snow starts up again. Wish me luck!

Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

1 big handful fresh basil leaves

? lemon

? cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper

Rinse off the quinoa and combine it with water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and set aside. Finely chop up the red bell pepper, onion, and garlic and add them to a saute pan. Cook on medium-low for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Add to the quinoa and mix together with a fork.  In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and juice from the lemon. Pour dressing on top of quinoa salad and mix everything together. Chop up basil and mix in with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of hot sauce if you like it spicy.