Citrus Quinoa Salad

Now that I have started a full-time job, Sundays for me are all about food. I spend about hour figuring out what meals I want to make that coming week (both for dinner and to bring for lunch), then probably too much time at the grocery store(s), and a good part of the rest of the day cooking in the kitchen.

I am a big promoter of bringing your own lunch to work. In my opinion you save so much money and it also tends to be a lot healthier. 

Recently, I have been hooked on making big batches of grain salads (like this farro salad) on Sunday and then I have it for the rest of the week. This past week I was loving this citrus quinoa salad. 

The fresh fruit and homemade citrus dressing makes this absolutely delicious. The original recipe called for candied pecans, so I decided to make my own. Sometimes pre-made candied pecans have so much sugar you would forget there was even a pecan inside. 

Sometimes I worry that vegetarian meals won’t fill me up, but the quinoa and beans in this salad have enough fiber and protein to keep you going for awhile. 

I brought this to work for lunch last week over fresh spinach. So yummy!

Citrus Quinoa Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 orange, peeled and chopped

1.5 cups fresh pineapple, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1 cup black beans, strained and rinsed

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1 cup quinoa

1 cup candied pecans**

**To make your own candied pecans, heat 1 Tablespoon of butter in a saucepan on low until melted. Add 1 cup of raw, unsalted pecan halves to the pan.  Then add 1 teaspoon of sugar and a dash of salt to taste.  Stir until the pecans are fully coated and slightly toasted. Make sure to watch them constantly so that they do not burn.

For the citrus dressing:

(makes more than needed for the quinoa salad)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1.5 Tablespoons agave

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Serve on its own or over a lettuce of choice. Dress the salad to taste.

Recipe adapted from: Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body