Lemony Quinoa with All Kinds of Good - A Recipe

I had some fun experimenting in my kitchen last night, and think I found a winner!  

If you choose, this is a very filling vegetarian meal on its own.  Quinoa is a very healthy and complete choice, as opposed to noodles, rice, or cous cous.  It is gluten free, contains dietary fiber, vitamin B, and iron.  It is also a great source of protein, as it contains all of the amino acids.  Click Here for more nutritional information on Quinoa, courtesy of Self Magazine.

For the Salad:

2 Cups Quinoa
4 Cups Water, Vegetable Broth, or Chicken Broth (based on your preference)
1 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts (non-marinated) drained and rinsed
1 Cup of Kalamata Olives, drained and rinsed
1/2 to 1 Cup of chopped red onion, depending on how much you like onion
1 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced into strips (if yours are packed in oil, rinse them off a bit)
1 English Cucumber, cut into quarters and sliced
4 to 6 ounces of crumbled Feta Cheese
3/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped julienne style

For the Dressing

1 clove of garlic, minced
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
A pinch of sugar, if needed

1.  Prepare Quinoa according to package directions, using the veggie or chicken stock if desired, typically 2 cups of liquid to one cup of Quinoa.  Ideally, make this ahead of time and allow to chill prior to making the salad.

2.  Combine the remaining salad ingredients, through the cucumber in a large bowl.  Add the Quinoa and thoroughly combine everything together.  Add the Feta and Basil Leaves and toss to combine.

3.  Combine the dressing ingredients, through the mustard, in a bowl.  Whisk these ingredients together thoroughly.  Whisk in the olive oil as you pour it.  Add the Salt and Pepper to taste.  If the lemon flavor is a bit too tart, add a pinch of sugar. 

4.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again, coating the salad with the dressing. 

This will serve about 4 as a main course (or 2 leaving nice lunch leftovers), and about 8 as a side dish.  I recommend topping each serving with a tiny bit of chunky, crispy finishing salt (such as marsh salt) and an extra sprinkling of Feta. 

Variations:  The addition of some sliced roasted red peppers and/or pine nuts would be quite tasty.  You could also swap out the feta for some fresh mozzarella.  You could swap out the cucumber for some  steamed or roasted asparagus pieces. 

In addition, if your carnivore instincts are kicking in, this would be excellent with some lemon or sun dried tomato marinated grilled chicken.