Sunday Sup: Quinoa Salad

I’m going to set the scene for you. The hubs is in another state working. I am in a small apartment with the kiddo, a very much younger kiddo, trying to wrap up our three lives so we can all move to the other state the hubs is working in. I finally get the kiddo to bed and because I don’t eat dinosaur chicken nuggets even if they are organic, I am searching the fridge to finally make myself some dinner. I’m not shopping because hello moving to another state. Gotta use up what’s there before it ends up in land fill. I see some left over roast asparagus and some goat cheese. I google. I find a recipe somewhere, I don’t remember where now, and I discover with some hearty substitutions I can kind of sort of make this recipe. I do, it’s delicious, so I keep making it with my substitutions. LOL

Quinoa Salad

Right off the bat you have to decide how much you want to make and how much quinoa you want versus the other ingredients. I usually put 4 cups of water on to boil and then add 2 c quinoa when it’s ready. 12-15 minutes simmering covered should do it. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on for five more minutes.
In the mean time, put some asparagus on a parchment lined cookie sheet, spray with olive oil, broil on high for 5-7 minutes. Just smell for it.
While that’s cooking, chop up some kalamata olives.
Whisk up the sauce. This is again a bit about you. I like red wine vinegar in this recipe, a good 1/2 c worth, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1/4 olive oil. Whisk until emulsified. You can also use balsamic if that tickles your fancy. You can mix white balsamic and standard in equal measure.
Dump the fluffed quinoa into a large bowl. Pour the sauce on, stir well. The asparagus should be cool enough to cut now. Grab by the woody ends and snip off one inch pieces until the kitchen shears no longer go through the asparagus easily. Toss the woody part.
Now while everything is warm, add the goat cheese. A good 4-6 ounces. Mix it round until the goat cheese melts into the quinoa.
Serve warm.