quinoa and avocado salad

Salads

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
1 red apple, chopped
1/4 cup almonds
1 avocado, sliced
3 cups salad greens
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. olive oil
dash of salt and pepper

Bring vegetable broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove lid and cover saucepan with a towel and allow to sit for another 15 minutes.

Wisk lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Plate the dish with salad greens as the base, and layer with quinoa, citrus, apple, nuts, and avocado. Drizzle dressing over each plate.

Notes: Quinoa can have a bitter taste if not prepared correctly. You can find quinoa that is prewashed, but if not, follow these directions. Soak the quinoa for 5 minutes in cold water. Then rinse thoroughly twice, using a large fine mesh sieve or strainer. For the salad greens, experiment with your favorites, such as red leaf lettuce, spinach, baby kale, or arugula.