Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Grape Tomatoes

Here is a winter salad that is warm and inviting, fresh and vibrant. The sort of salad a certain individual needs on a damp winter day when the sky is paper white and the clouds are thick with snow. On a day such as this it's tempting to head straight for comfort food. That leftover Kicked Up Baked Mac 'n Cheese in the fridge. That wedge of Roasted Vegetable Kugel. But what the body craves may- or may not be- what the body needs. I'm just saying.

I'm no expert on cravings. But I do know that if I make a habit of indulging every gnawing whim and craving that wiggles its way into my winter-fevered brain I'd have hips to write home about. I'd chew Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares for breakfast and eat warm Horseradish Spiked Red Potato Salad every noon hour from now till the Vernal Equinox (a serotonin-boosting strategy not recommended, by the way, for those of us past a certain age where you can pack on the pounds faster that you can say, Blueberry pancakes on a stick). And by the way, if we are what we eat, and we can "change our life" by what we visualize, does dreaming of Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat make us fat?

Surviving three months of virtual inertia- followed by ten months of slow and steady wins the race recovery- with three honkin' titanium screws in your hip (by the way, not that it invalidates and softens the tedious struggle of last year or anything, but why do certain family members- who claim to be compassionate- insist on referring to these suckers as pins, embroidering knitting group safe visions of a petite and delicate procedure that in no way involved a couple of workbench sized clamps and a battery operated power drill?) not to mention double digit extra poundage adhered to one's backside makes you appreciate a recipe like this.

Trust me.

Spinach Salad Recipe with Quinoa and Grape Tomatoes

This naturally gluten-free salad is dairy-free vegan yummalicious. If you do eat dairy, a crumble of goat cheese or feta would also be fabulous (but I didn't miss the cheese).


Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
About 1/2 to 2/3 cup cooked quinoa per person
1 generous cup washed organic baby spinach leaves per person
A handful of organic grape tomatoes per person, halved
1 scallion per person, washed, sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Sprinkle of fresh or dried herbs- parsley, thyme, basil, or mint
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (or Champagne vinegar if, like me, you're allergic to lemon)

Gently heat a large pan (I used a wok). Pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic; stir and warm the oil for a minute. Add the cooked quinoa and heat through. Add the baby spinach leaves, tomatoes and scallions. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle with nutmeg and herbs. Stir to mix. Sprinkle with lemon juice and stir. When the spinach begins to wilt remove from heat (I don't like soggy spinach so I cook this very quickly).

Serve in a bowl. Dig in. Be happy.

Printer-friendly recipe

Karina's Notes:

Omnivores- add crumbled cooked bacon for a BLT flavor. Or add chopped hard boiled eggs.

For how to cook quinoa see my post: How To Cook Quinoa- The Super Easy Way.

For more quinoa goodness:

Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint
Stuffed Cabbage with Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa
Quinoa Breakfast Cake

More Mediterranean Diet Recipes here.
South Beach Diet Notes here.