Homey Hummus and Quinoa Salad

Alright! Who is ready for another recipe? You?

Fact: I brought that spatula from Canada because I can't cook without one.

I thought so! So let's get started.

Last week I finally found Quinoa in South Africa. If you know me, you would definitely understand how I almost cried in the aisle of Dis-Chem when I found it. If you don't know me, you might think I am insane you might even be wondering what the heck quinoa even is! Quinoa (you say it keen-wha) is a grain that is native to Peru and cooks up kind of like rice. However, quinoa is a complete protein which makes it a lot healthier than rice, and I personally like the flavour and texture a lot better. If you want to learn more here is the wikipedia page on it.  I used to eat quinoa pretty much everyday in Canada, you can buy a huge bag at Costco for pretty cheap. I had been searching for this EVERYWHERE since I have been here, and have already eaten it at least 6 times since I bought it. 

Already divided up into servings as well as a shot of my feet! I am an organizational freak

If you know me you probably also know how much I love hummus. I have been known to eat a whole container in one or two sittings and to sometimes I eat it with  spoon.... I digress. At home I make my own hummus every week to save money but also because I like the taste better. Mine is not as rich as the kind you buy in the store and makes a yummy sandwich spread or even a pasta sauce. Finding hummus in the grocery store here was also a near-tears experience, what can I say, I get excited about food!

Last week I was running low on groceries and needed to be creative to come up with something for lunch for the next couple days. I was attending a conference and even though lunch was catered I always feel safer bringing my own food in case there is not anything for me to eat. I made this whole thing in about 20 minutes and not to toot my own horn, but everyone who tried it said how delicious it was! I used red peppers and zucchini as the vegetables in this because that is what I had on hand. Asparagus, cooked eggplant, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and onions would all be delicious in this as well, it is just about personal taste. If you can't find quinoa you could sub millet, couscous or brown rice, but I really recommend the quinoa. 

My pack of veggies I had to use. I used to squash to make delicious fries.

This salad was not only delicious, but reminded me of home. I felt instantly transported back to cooking in my St Catharines kitchen while chatting on the phone with my Mom. It might not remind you of your Mom, but I guarantee it will satisfy your hunger.  

Homey Hummus and Quinoa Salad

Serves 3 meal portions or 6 side salads

3/4 cup of dry quinoa 

1 1/2 cup of water

2-3 zuchhini chopped into half inch chunks

1 large red pepper chopped into inch chunks

seasoning salt

For the hummus:

1 can of chickpeas, drained with the liquid reserved

3 tbsp - 1/4 cup chickpea liquid

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp canola oil (at home I would use tahini, but I didn't have it here)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 a tablespoon minced garlic

** I really do not measure this, I kind of just add and taste. Adjust the measurements as you see fit**

Start by boiling the water on the stove. Once the water comes to a boil reduce the heat to low and add the quinoa. Cook this for around 20-25 minutes. You will know it is done when the water is absorbed and the "tails" separate from the grain. They look like little threads that come off the grain, you can see it in some of the pictures. If you take a bite and it is tender it is finished. Remove from the heat.

In the mean time, add the zucchini and pepper to a frying pan and cook over medium heat. Add a few dashes of seasoning salt (or braai seasoning if you are in South Africa) and cook for about 8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. I added a few tablespoons of water to mine to steam them a bit. Once the water is all cooked off add the vegetables and quinoa to a medium sized bowl.

I used the godforsaken hand crank food processor to make the hummus. If you have a real one at home save your sanity and use that. Add all the ingredients to the machine and process until smooth. Mine still had a few small chickpea chunks and I really liked the the texture. You could make it completely smooth if that is more your thing. Taste the hummus as adjust accordingly. I ended up adding a bit more lemon juice and a bit more cumin to enhance the flavour.

Add the hummus to the bowl and stir it all together. I personally liked eating this as a warm salad, but it is also delicious straight out of the fridge.

Invite over your vegan friends and enjoy!