Bocconcini and Oregano Quinoa Salad

After a hectic week, my friend Miranda and I cooked up this dish and sat down to a relaxing, yummy dinner. It is, again, directly from the Quinoa 365; The Everyday Superfood cookbook that I have been addicted to. I added mushrooms to the recipe as they are my favourite food at the moment, mainly because of their nutrient content (they offer a great amount of B-vitamins). The nutritious mushrooms fit wonderfully into the flavours of this dish. I also used a green instead of red pepper, which was equally delicious. It was a great dinner, but this salad would also be great as a lunch or as a side dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (185mL) quinoa

1 1/2 cups (375mL) water

1 cup (250mL) diced zucchini

1 cup (250mL) halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup (125mL) diced red onion

1/2 cup (125mL) frozen baby green peas, thawed

1 cup (250mL) diced red bell pepper (about one pepper)

1/2 cup (125mL) diced yellow bell pepper

3 Tbsp (45mL) balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp (30mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp (15mL) Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp (30mL) finely chopped fresh oregano (or 2tsp/10mL dried oregano)

1 tsp (5mL) minced fresh garlic

pinch salt

pinch ground black pepper

1 cup (250mL) halved mini bocconcini cheese pieces

Directions:

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Set aside to completely cool.

2. Combine the zucchini, tomatoes, onion, peas and red and yellow pepper in a large bowl.

3. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Add the quinoa and bocconcini and mix until evenly combined.

4. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.