Asparagus Tomato Goat Cheese Quinoa Salad Recipes

GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND QUINOA SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat grill. Brush asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill on both sides until just cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cut in half.
• Bring 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and cook until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Place the quinoa in a medium bowl and add red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley and 1/4 cup of olive vinaigrette. Stir to combine. Place on plate and top with goat cheese, asparagus, whole nicoise olives, sliced tomato and parsley sprigs.
• Black Olive Vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, mustard, chile powder, olives and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

ASPARAGUS, TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE QUINOA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile, blanch asparagus in boiling water for about 1 min. Transfer asparagus to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain once cooled, roughly chop and set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix in cooked and cooled quinoa, tomatoes, basil and asparagus. Transfer to serving bowl and top with goat cheese crumbles.

QUINOA SALAD WITH SWISS CHARD AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Remove stems from Swiss chard and chop in 1/2-inch pieces. Chop leaves and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium. Add onion, garlic and chard stems. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa and mustard. Add broth, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover and let sit 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add chard leaves and continue cooking until greens have wilted and no more liquid remains in the skillet.
• Fluff quinoa with a fork. Fold mushrooms and leaves into it.
• The cooked quinoa can be set aside at room temperature for several hours and then served, or reheated to warm or hot. Crumble goat cheese and scatter on top just before serving.

QUINOA AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse several times with cold water. Place in a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes, until the grains display a threadlike spiral and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, remove the lid and place a dish towel over the pan, then return the lid to the pan and let sit for 10 minutes or longer undisturbed. Transfer to a salad bowl and fluff with forks.
• Steam the asparagus for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Rinse with cold water, pat dry and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Add to the quinoa, along with the radishes, pine nuts, chives and tarragon.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil, buttermilk and pepper. Shortly before serving, toss with the quinoa and asparagus mixture. Sprinkle the feta over the top and serve. If desired, drizzle a teaspoon of the lemon-scented olive oil over each serving.

ASPARAGUS QUINOA SALAD

Steps:

• Put the quinoa in a strainer and rinse it for a minute or two under running water. Put the water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until soft. (When it's done, the quinoa seeds will have little wisps spiraling off of them-this is the germ separating from the seed.) Drain the quinoa in a strainer.
• While the quinoa is cooking, break off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus and cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, add about 1/2 inch of water, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place the asparagus in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, and microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.) Drain the asparagus and place it under cold running water for 1 minute to cool it down.
• Cut the kalamata olives into thin slices. Cut the tomato in half, scrape the seeds out of the tomato with a small tool or your finger, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Finely grate 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel. Be careful to only grate the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice from the lemon.
• Place the quinoa in a bowl with the asparagus, kalamata olives, tomato, and lemon zest and stir until combined. Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the feta cheese.
• bargain shopper
• Grains such as quinoa, bulgur wheat, and rice are available prepackaged in most grocery stores. But you can save a substantial amount of money by purchasing them from the bulk food section at a natural food store. For that matter, many supermarkets now have bulk food sections, too.

ASPARAGUS AND TOMATO SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook asparagus for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Shake off excess moisture.
• Combine asparagus and grape tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss until evenly coated. Add goat cheese and toss again. Serve immediately.

QUINOA SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, GOAT CHEESE AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: Combine the vinegar, honey and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few times to incorporate.
• For the quinoa salad: Bring the salted water or vegetable stock to a boil and add the thyme. Stir in the quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Preheat the grill. Brush the asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on all sides until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl, fold in the asparagus, olives, goat cheese, basil and parsley. Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the salad; don't make it too wet. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette.