Vegan Balsamic Quinoa Salad

I'm loving this quinoa craze that has been going around. I first learned about quinoa in college and I remember being mad that I hadn't learned of it sooner. It is so tasty and stocked full of protein (and other good things). I love using, and eating, quinoa and experimenting with it. Pairing it with all different kinds of flavors is fun. This is one of my favorite quinoa salads I have made. It is similar to a pasta salad I use to frequent, but honestly tastier and so much healthier. I've made it on two separate occasions, for a graduation party with my extended family, and for a summer party with friends. Both times it was very much enjoyed and quickly gobbled up.

Balsamic Quinoa Salad, makes a big ol' bowl full:

2 cups quinoa
2 quarts vegetable broth

1/2 a red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 a cucumber, peeled slightly and chopped
1 13.75 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup pepperoncinis, chopped
2 cups baby spinach

2 teaspoons garlic powder (or to taste)
2 teaspoons italian seasoning (or to taste)
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Feta Cheese to top, optional

Directions: Bring 2 quarts vegetable broth and 2 cups quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, let simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and check the quinoa's tenderness; you'll want it nice and tender. If still crunchy, let simmer longer. If it is fully cooked and still has some liquid remaining, drain the excess liquid in a fine strainer. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool. If you are impatient, or late to party like I was, you can rinse the quinoa under cold water. This will make the quinoa loose some of it's flavor from the vegetable broth, though (I stirred in some bouillon to get it back).

Directions(cont): As your quinoa cools, chop up all of your veggies and place them in a large bowl. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Mix in the baby spinach as well. Then, for the dressing, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, italian seasoning, and pepper. These measurements are approximate, and I always add a bit of each at a time and taste as I go. You may need to add more or less balsamic vinegar than what I suggested to get a good flavor. Chill in the refrigerator until serving but can be eaten right away. This is delicious topped with a sprinkle of feta cheese. When I serve this at parties, I like to set a little tub of feta cheese next to it, so those who want/eat cheese can top it with a bit of feta. It is just as tasty without cheese too!

Enjoy! And don't be surprised if it gets eaten rather quickly.

Cheesy Chickpea Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze

Can I share with you what I had for lunch today? Because it is brilliant.

Do you ever have those moments where you are suddenly savagely hungry, and no matter how much food there is in the pantry or no matter how many yummy meals you can think of making, all you really want to do is eat a can of beans with a spoon? Well that's what I did yesterday.

Or maybe I just ate crackers. Do you really expect me to remember? I know you can tell by now that I am, like, super healthy. But I know I'm not the only one who eats a can of beans or crackers or spoonfuls of peanut butter or 5 cookies and calls it a meal. We all have those days. Well, my friends, today was not one of those days for me. No, I took just about everything I was going to eat by the spoonful with the fridge door open and loaded it up on 2 pieces of toast. I'm fancy.

Cheesy Chickpea Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze, makes 3-4  large toasts:

1/2 a can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup spinach, finely chopped 

1/2 a tomato

a few spoonfuls jarred sliced pepperoncinis, chopped smaller

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I actually used a little less)

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon garlic

1/8 teaspoon italian seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

3-4 thick slices of bread, I used the spinach and ricotta loaf from Alpicella Bakery we got at the Market.

Once your beans are rinsed and drained, put them in a medium size bowl and mash them up a bit using a fork or a potato masher. Add in the sliced onion, tomato, pepporoncinis and spinach. Stir to combine. Mix in the cheeses and mayonnaise, stirring thoroughly, and mash a bit more as needed. Add in the garlic and italian seasoning. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the balsamic glaze (balsamic reduction), pour 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let simmer to reduce in 1/2, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Once reduced by half, take of heat and let cool, continue to stir occasionally as it cools.

While the balsamic reduction cools, slice up your bread and toast one side under the broiler on low. Toasting the other side of the bread, the side that the topping will not be on, will keep the bruschetta from getting soggy. Once golden brown, remove from oven and flip over, layer the non-toasted side with the chickpea mixture. Put back under the low broil until golden and bubbly, anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on your oven and toast preference. Be careful not to burn.

To serve, drizzle with the cooled balsamic glaze. Best eaten immediately.

I have discovered that I can pretty much put whatever I want on bread and call it bruschetta, and then further call it a meal. Someone come stop me.