Blue Sky Snow Day ~

It's such a beautiful day to admire the gifts of nature and to be so grateful for such a blue sky!

Spinach with Quinoa ~

So I am kind of on this spinach kick lately as you can see. I'm a huge fan of spinach and love using it in so many dishes, salads, soups, sautés, you name it. There's something magical about cooking an entire head of spinach in a sauté pan and watching it shrivel down to a handful of goodness, toasted with garlic and olive oil.

My favorite grain now is quinoa and I also find ways to use it with many meals. I've often created salads with both quinoa and spinach, along with some feta cheese and toasted walnuts, and just recently found an improved version of my salad creation in Sunset Magazine. A reader had added some lemon and red chili flakes to my same salad, creating a zestier version that's really quite delicious and so easy to make for lunch or as a side dish for dinner.


Citrus, quinoa, and spinach salad ~
Serves 4 to 6

- 1/2 Cup quinoa (I really like Ancient Harvest brand)

- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

- 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1/2 Tsp. red chili flakes

- 1/4 Tsp. kosher salt

- Pinch of pepper

- 6 Oz. baby spinach

- 1/4 Cup sliced green onions

- 1/4 Cup crumpled feta cheese

Cook quinoa according to the package directions. Meanwhile, whisk together the zest, juice, oil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Then add washed spinach and onions. Mix in the warm quinoa and sprinkle on top of the salad with the feta.

Easy. Delicious. Healthy. Gluten-free!