Our friend and neighbor, Kathy, brought this salad to our annual New Year’s Eve Party at The Artist’s Inn. I promised to share the recipe! It was quite yummy and pretty healthy. Hope you like it!
Salad
1 cup quinoa (or orzo pasta)
4 – 6 oz. baby spinach (cut up)
1/3 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes (chopped)
small cucumber peeled and diced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives – (cut in half)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3 oz. feta cheese
Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped shallots
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a jar – shake to mix.
Cook orzo or quinoa according to package directions. While that is cooking, combine spinach with sundried tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and oregano in a large bowl.
When the pasta or quinoa is cooked, drain under cold running water until room temperature. Toss quinoa and the other ingredients with mixed vinaigrette to taste (I don’t always use the entire dressing mix).
Serve at room temperature, topped with crumbled feta.
Makes 6 – 8 servings.
