As some of you may have figured out, my meat-free Monday actually occurs on Sundays (or sometimes Saturdays) so I can have something to post for the blog on Mondays (guess I should call it Without Meat Weekends? Meh.). Anyway, my goal is to try out more recipes during the week so that I have a backlog of recipes to write about, but until school starts, which is today (woot woot!), this just isn’t possible. I’ve made it a goal of mine, now that school has started, to get my life back on track…and I mean everything. The house is a disorganized mess, I’m behind on household administration, did I mention the house is a mess? But I digress….
Today’s recipe was sent to me from my friend, Kate (and I literally have four friends in my neighborhood named Kate, so I’ll be mysterious and not tell you which one!). It’s actually a recipe from the Wegman’s grocery store magazine. If you don’t have a Wegmans near you, you are truly missing out….for real.
But I’ll bring a little piece of Wegmans to you right here.
The thing about the Wegman’s recipes is many of the ingredients are Wegman’s pre-made products, like dressings or basting oils, or vegetable mixes. So I altered the recipe so that all ingredients are items you can get at any grocery store. For example, the dressing in this recipe originally called for a Wegmans Lemon Vinaigrette and instead I found a recipe to make my own vinaigrette, capiche?
This is the first time I’ve tried red quinoa.
I didn’t think it tasted much different than the regular quinoa we buy from Costco, but I also didn’t taste it plain. Instead it is mixed with a delicious combination of goodies as you can see.
I personally loved this dish. It tasted very refreshing and light. Since it was just the hubby and I eating it (I really should just leave my kids out of all these food reviews because they don’t eat ANYTHING apparently) we had a lot leftover. I have made a note on the recipe to half it next time. I mean I love that we have leftovers, but I’m afraid once the avocados start browning, it won’t be quite as appetizing, don’t you think?
Anyhow, hope you enjoy it!
Red Quinoa-Avocado Salad
Ingredients
1 pkg (7 oz) red quinoa, cooked and cooled
1 pkg (12 oz) frozen sweet corn, thawed (I used steam fresh, and then let it cool off)
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 plum tomatoes, 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, cubed small
1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette (see recipe below, or you can purchased pre-made)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Directions
Add cooked quinoa, corn, cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes to mixing bowl. Fold in avocados and dressing; mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper; serve.
Note: For original Wegman’s recipe, click here.
Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I just juiced one whole lemon)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I used honey)
Directions
Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)