Hello lovelies! I hope everyone is having a beautiful week!
I have to say, as much as I love the warm sunny days we have been having, I welcome the occasional rainy day. You see, the rainy days are perfect for binge watching shows without feeling guilty about wasting a nice day. Lately, we have been re-watching Game Of Thrones in anticipation of the season 7 premiere July 16th. It is insane how much I missed the first time around!
Which shows do you love to re-watch?
Okay, now let’s move on to this gorgeous salad. I love a bright, hearty spring salad. I wanted something substantial and healthy, but needed to go to the store. I decided to make a clean out the fridge salad. First, I tossed some carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and smoked paprika. Then, baked them in the oven for about 20 minutes.
While the carrots were cooking, I made some quinoa. Make sure to rinse the quinoa well before you cook it. I use a fine mesh sieve and run water through until it runs clear. This will take away any bitterness from the quinoa. I find that the quinoa turns out the best if I cook it plain, without any seasonings. Then, once it is cooked I fluff it with a fork and add seasoning.
Next, to assemble the salad, I lay down a bed of fresh spinach.
Then, put the cooked quinoa over the spinach.
The next layer is the beautifully cooked carrots.
Finish the salad with a drizzle of Spicy Chili Lime Vinaigrette and some fresh chopped cilantro. Dig in!
Carrot Quinoa Salad with Spicy Chili Lime Vinaigrette
A bright and hearty spring salad
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1lb carrots, peeled and sliced into coins on a diagonal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups spinach
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
vinaigrette:
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
10 pickled jalapeno slices, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, cover, drop the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the carrots with olive oil to coat and sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic. Add to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping hallway through.
- Vinaigrette: whisk together the garlic, chili powder, lime juice, honey, and apple cider vinegar. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil. Toss in the jalapenos and season with salt and pepper. The easy way: Put all ingredients into a jar with a lid that seals completely. Shake until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble: Layer the spinach, quinoa, and carrots. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!
xo Ali Taylor
