Super yummy salad!

This was one of the best “complete-meal-salad” dishes I have ever had! Deliciously nutty quinoa is paired with tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots, edamame, and a delicious basil-lemon dressing to complete the goodness! Even tofu was added to the mix, and I was so happy, because this was my most successful attempt to prepare tofu for savory dishes! Yessss! Now we are definitely going to have tofu more often, because Matheus and me really liked it! (The husband tried, said it was good, and when I said it was tofu he did not eat it anymore… men, hopeless, I know… sigh)
The basil-lemon dressing is one of the best salad dressings I have had in a while, I usually make a variety of vinaigrettes to go with our salads, using different kinds of vinegar and all, but this one is super simple and the flavor is just unbeatable, the best in my opinion and for sure is going to be made many and many more times at our home!
It is an amazing salad, complete with vegetables, carbs, and protein; a perfect one-dish meal for the hot summer days, I truly enjoyed it today and could not wait to come post it here!
The original recipe called for black beans, which are not my favorite, and since I loooove chickpeas I used it instead. I also subbed edamame for lima beans, not only because I didn’t have them, but also because I love edamame, and I guessed thee flavor would go well here - and it did!
I am posting bellow my adapted recipe, it was so successful as is that I don’t want to change a thing! And in case you would like to see the original recipe, take a peek at the Cooking Light website and it will be there for the black beans lovers too! Hehe!
By the way, if you are not a tofu fan I am pretty sure this would be just as tasty with some cooked chicken in its place - gotta try it that way too!
Ana

Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Basil Lemon Dressing
3/4 cups uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
½ package (7-ounce) firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small garlic cloves, minced
½ cup cooked edamame
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped carrot (I blanched mine)
1/2 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until broth is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Remove from heat.
Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté tofu until lightly browned (about 8 minutes or so). Remove from heat and let cool.
In a small bowl mix 1/2-tablespoon olive oil, basil, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic. Stir in quinoa. Add the edamame, tofu, tomatoes, carrots, and chickpeas to quinoa mixture; stir to combine. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size about 1cup)

Quinoa

I could not wait to come here and post today’s recipe after we had lunch today. Creamy Quinoa Primavera was simply delicious! Seriously, it was one of the best dishes I had lately! So yummy, creamy and full of flavors!
Since I discovered quinoa last year I have been collecting (and trying) a few recipe here and there, and each time I eat quinoa I like it even more! It is a very nutritious grain, full of protein and some fiber as well. It has a yummy nutty flavor, which I really like.
Today’s dish was by far the best quinoa recipe I have had, a great combination of flavors between the quinoa and the veggies; it was creamy and cheesy (“risotto-like”), really, really good! Plus, Matheus loved it too and we polished off the half recipe I made!
I got this recipe from the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards; “Valchemist” posted it. Thanks Val!
If you like quinoa then give this recipe a try! I loved it and will definitely be making it again, and again…

Ana

Creamy Quinoa Primavera
1 1/2 c quinoa -- uncooked
3 c chicken broth
2 ozs reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil -- or 1 tsp dried
2 tsps butter
2 garlic cloves -- finely chopped
5 c thinly-sliced or bite sized pieces of
assorted veggies -- such as asparagus, broccoli, carrots, zucchini
2 tbsps grated romano cheese

Rinse Quinoa thoroughly and drain. Heat quinoa and broth to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 2 minutes, sitirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Yield: 6 servings
Source: "Betty Crocker's Healthy Home Cooking"