Since I moved to Charlotte last Saturday, I have been incredibly productive solely based on the fact that I have no one to hang out with yet! While I know quite a few people who will be living/working in Charlotte, most of them are moving here later in the summer or were out of town this week. Needless to say, I am thrilled that I will be having some company this weekend though–my friends Samantha, Jenna and Anna will be coming up from Chapel Hill and Greensboro to visit! I am excited to explore the city with them, as I haven’t ventured away from my apartment too much the past few days except for the obligatory post move trips to Target and a stop at Harris Teeter.
In the past few days I have purchased (and assembled) a whole bedroom set from Ikea, unpacked and organized everything, stocked my fridge, worked out every day,caught up on some forms for my new job and cleaned my apartment! I’ve also been cooking quite a bit and today I want to share a fun summer recipe with you all. This recipe is adapted from Iowa Girl Eats‘ Superfood Salad with Vinaigrette. I edited her recipe a bit, as I was looking for a light lunch rather than a substantial, hearty meal. Also, I didn’t have all of the ingredients available, so I improvised some to make an easier, cheaper (I am financially independent now, after all) version of her salad. I was very pleased with the way it turned out, and I have leftovers that will hold me over for a couple of days!
Citrus Quinoa Salad
Ingredients (serves 3-4)
For the Salad:
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1 orange, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup chicken broth (you could also use vegetable broth)
- salt & pepper
For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove (I used prepackaged minced garlic–super easy!)
- dash of sweetener (I used stevia but you could also use sugar or agave nectar)
- salt & pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place quinoa and chicken broth in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside quinoa to cool.
- For the lemon vinaigrette, combine lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt & pepper and olive oil in mixing boil. Whisk ingredients together.
- Combine cooled quinoa with the red onion, avocado, orange pieces, corn and salt and pepper. Top the mixture with the lemon vinaigrette.
As if the dish didn’t have enough citrus in it, I enjoyed it with a glass of lime seltzer water!
lise on life 