quinoa salad

I finally have a kitchen with more than a square foot of counter space and I haven't been making much use of it come dinner time. I don't know if it's the warm whether, or the fact that I'm home studying most days and end up snacking all afternoon, but I haven't been in the mood to make a real evening meal in quite a while. No, dinner around these parts has been looking more like toast smeared with avocado, crackers and veggies dipped in hummus and, on one particularly hot evening, an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie ice cream. Clearly I needed an intervention. And I got one, in the form of Alice Waters. This Quinoa Salad, inspired by Waters' Tabbouleh Salad from The Art of Simple Food was just what I needed to get back on track dinner wise. It's healthy, filling and satisfying. It would also be great served at a late afternoon picnic. Just don't spoil your appetite for dinner.

Remember that time you promised to tell us all about the decadent treat you made with your brand new mixer and then gave us a quinoa salad instead? So here's the thing: if someone is nice enough to send you a KitchenAid mixer, I think that it's only right that you send them the first thing you made with it, don't you? So I will be telling you all about the treats that I made in my new mixer, but not until they are safely to my friends in Chicago and Washington. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.


Quinoa Salad
Inspired by Alice Waters's The Art of Simple Food

1 small eggplant, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
5 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
sliced avocado and hummus for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the eggplant with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes (roasting time may vary depending on how coarsely you chop the eggplant). Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Toss quinoa, eggplant, tomatoes, parsley and scallions together in a large bowl. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice if necessary. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss to coat. Refrigerate the salad for about an hour to allow the flavors to blend. If using, top with sliced avocado and a couple of dollops of hummus.