Welcome to my new favourite meal.
This is a meal suitable for lunch or dinner. Actually, if you make this for dinner you can easily pack up the leftovers for a nutritious on-the-go lunch the next day.
This simple, zesty Italian salad dressing is about to become your new favourite dressing. I used fresh thyme, basil, and oregano as my herb base. Believe me, once you start making your own homemade salad dressings you will never want to go back to store bought again. You can make this dressing in a blender, but if you want to make things really easy, shake all the ingredients together in a jar until fully combined. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so to develop it's flavour and then you're ready to add it to the salad.
As the quinoa cooks you can pop the chickpeas into the oven to roast, then work on the dressing and chop up the broccoli and red pepper.
I would definitely call this a 30 minute meal. And after it's done cooking you can serve it up hot or let it chill in the fridge and serve cold.
By the way, you may have noticed the new photography background surface I've been using. Here it is in the works on instagram. I decided to try a little DIY a few weeks ago and make my own background. Let me just say I can't believe it took me so long to do this. I was starting to feel like my current backgrounds were getting old and I desperately wanted something new to shoot on. It was fairly easy to put together and it only cost me around $15-20. Very affordable. I used this tutorial from Ashley from The Edible Perspective to help me do it. Genius!
Now I go back and forth between super clean and white to a rustic + vintage feel with the new wood boards and old baking pans.
by Jennifer Trennum
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: main dish lunch salad gluten-free grain-free nut-free protein sugar-free vegan option vegetarian vegan bell peppers mustard goats cheese chickpeas
For the Salad
- 1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed well and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1 large broccoli heads, chopped into florets (about 2 cups)
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- feta or goat cheese, optional
For the Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups cooked)
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
For the Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced (or passed through a garlic press)
- 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh basil, oregano, and thyme, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
Heat a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, and add the quinoa. Toast, stirring until the grains begin to smell fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly pour in the water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Do not stir or uncover while cooking. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
Roast the chickpeas: While the quinoa cooks, place garbanzo beans in a tea towel (or paper towel) and rub dry. Toss with oil, salt, and garlic powder on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 400˚F, then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet, then roast for another 5-8 minutes, until lightly golden.
Prepare the dressing: Place all dressing ingredients into a blender, and blend until fully combined (or shake ingredients in a mason jar). Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Combine quinoa, broccoli, red pepper, in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and top with cheese if desired. Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator.
Notes
Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in a sealed container.
Nutritional Information
Based on 6 Serving's without cheese Calories: 252 Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 1.5g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 30g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 1g Protein: 8g Sodium: 211mg
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Fresh and simple.
Happy Wednesday!
Some of my other leftover-friendly salad meals from the archives:
