Mediterranean Quinoa Salad With Roasted Vegetables (serves 4-6)
I love a filling salad that I can have for dinner AND keep leftovers for lunch/dinner the following day/s. For me, getting more than one meal out of each cooking session is a real bonus and allows me to serve up healthy meals without spending too much time in the kitchen! Juggling work and looking after two small kiddies doesn’t leave a huge amount of time/energy over for cooking so I aim to cook smarter not harder! I figure that if this is the case for me, it’s likely the case for many of you too. So I plan to share a variety of time saving delicious meals with you over the coming months. This is an example of the type of easy recipes you’ll find on my online nutrition & weight management programs.
This protein packed salad is bursting with nutrients & flavour and will keep you full for hours. It’s super versatile so can be served alone or alongside a piece of chicken, steak, cod, tuna, hard boiled egg or crumbled feta, the choice is yours!
Ingredients
For the baking tray:
- 1 red/yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of baby mushrooms
- 1/2 a courgette, cut into chunky half moons
- 1 can of organic chick peas, rinsed & drained.
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. oregano
- a good shake of sea salt & black pepper
Quinoa:
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water or vegetable stock
Dressing:
- 1-2 tbsp of your favourite green pesto (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Place chopped veg and chickpeas onto the parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano & seasoning. Toss with your hands & spread the veg out evenly. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stir & shake tray half way through.
Meanwhile add the quinoa and water to a medium pot and place over high heat; bring to a boil, then cover, lower heat and simmer for approx. 15 mins. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and transfer quinoa to a large salad bowl.
Once the veggies are cooked, add them to the quinoa and stir in the pesto. Serve warm or cold. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
