Summer Squash Quinoa Salad

Hi! Did you miss me? Sorry about the week-long absence. I have been busy having fun in the beautiful sunshine that Oregon’s been having lately. I even took a long 4-day weekend off from work to celebrate my birthday weekend! Here’s a re-cap:

Layla and I all dressed up to go out for dinner:

 

My dinner & dessert from Manzana Grill in Lake Oswego:

 

A beautiful and thoughtful gift basket from my friend, McKenzie:

 

My sister and I driving to hang out with some family friends at their house in Black Butte:

 

The forest fire that was happening while we ate dinner in Black Butte:

 

My lamb burger (minus the bun) with green salad. I snuck some of my sister’s fries without remembering that they were beer battered. Luckily I didn’t get sick from the possible gluten!

 

Now onto more important things, like what I whipped up for dinner this evening. I had three crookneck squashes grown by the doctor’s wife to use up. I decided that a quinoa salad that incorporated squash would make a delightful new dish. I poked around my fridge and threw in some random ingredients and called it a meal. While cooking my dinner tonight, I concluded that I am an intuitive cook. After reading my friend, Kris’ post about listening to your “gut” or intuition, I thought about the importance of trusting your own intuition. I hardly ever follow a recipe or even execute a meal the way that I intend to. Instead, I go with the flow and listen to my intuition while I am preparing my meals. I’m glad that I do, because tonight’s meal turned out delicious!

Summer Squash Quinoa Salad

Serves 4

2-3 crookneck squash, sliced into 1/4″ slices

2 teaspoons dried herb mixture (I used Mountain Rose Thai Herb blend but you could use Italian or Greek too)

1 cup broccoli, roasted or steamed

1 cup uncooked quinoa

4 cups chicken ore vegetable broth

5 oz. chevre cheese, crumbled

2 Tablespoons Wickle’s Wicked Pepper Rings and Chilies (or any sweet sliced pepper rings)

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tablespoons olive oil + more for grilling the squash

1-2 Tablespoons Bragg’s Aminos or sea salt to taste

Toss the squash in a little olive oil and the dried spices. Heat a skillet to medium heat. In single-layer batches, grill the squash for roughly 1-2 minutes per side. Place the cooked squash on a cutting board until all of the squash is prepared. Slice into 1″ pieces. Transfer squash to a large bowl.

Soak the quinoa in warm water for approximately 10 minutes. Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Drain the quinoa and add to the boiling broth. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 12-15 minutes, until the quinoa is fully cooked. Drain any remaining liquids and allow the quinoa to cool. Once cool, add the quinoa and broccoli to the squash in the bowl.

Chop the sweet peppers and chillies. Add them to the bowl along with the crumbled chevre. Pour the lemon juice, olive oil and Bragg’s aminos over the mixture and lightly toss. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. This salad will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Serve cold and enjoy!

I’m going to go watch Most Eligible Dallas on Bravo. Anyone else loving that new reality show? Have a great night!