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Ingredients:

• Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah) an ancient Mayan grain which, in addition to being very healthy, holds the largest amount of protein of all grains, making it an immensely valuable addition to a vegetarian’s diet
• Two apples
• Walnuts
• Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Red Wine or Sherry Vinegar
• Dijon Mustard
• Honey
• Salt and Pepper

 
Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa per the quinoa Box Instructions (if you buy the quinoa in bulk, general rule of thumb: use 2:1 water to quinoa ratio, bring water to boil on stove, add quinoa and stir occasionally until all water has been cooked off).
2. While quinoa is cooking, dice the apples, cucumbers, and walnuts into relatively small pieces (a grain of quinoa is very small, so. in my opinion, chunks of roughly half-inch cubes produce the most pleasing effect- both aesthetically and taste-budly).
3. Dice roughly ¼ of the onion to slightly smaller size than mentioned above, as pieces of onion too large can overwhelm a bite of quinoa salad.
4. Once quinoa has finished cooking (usually 15-20 minutes, depending on the oven and the quinoa quantity) add quinoa and other diced ingredients in large bowl and mix with a spoon.
5. Add one cup of red wine or sherry vinegar to smaller mixing bowl along with roughly one teaspoon of Dijon mustard and several squeezes of honey. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and mix dressing. I sometimes find it helpful to transfer the dressing into a water bottle where it is much more easily and efficiently mixed by shaking.
6. Taste-test the dressing and adjust to your preference. I like my dressing characterized by a sort of vinegary bite balanced, and followed, by a sweet honey after-taste.
7. Once thoroughly mixed with no chunks of mustard visible, pour dressing over quinoa salad and allow to soak while mixing salad again with spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Refrigerate, serve chilled, and enjoy.
9. I usually follow this recipe every Sunday and place the remainder in Tupperware in the fridge, allowing for a daily, quick, and nutritious on-the-go snack/lunch.

Nutrition notes: Overall, this is a really great lunch/snack idea. As mentioned above, quinoa, particularly with the addition of the walnuts, has a large amount of protein, which is great for longer lasting energy (and recovery from any type of strenuous activity, be it academically or athletically related…). Adding the diced apples also allows for the opportunity to add some fruit to your daily diet. Likewise, while the cucumbers and onions, although they are perhaps not the best vegetables (in terms of nutrient content), they are still vegetables.
 
            Enjoy,
            J.F. Quinn