Quinoa and Hummus Salad

As the end of September rolls in, I find myself desperately trying to fit in those last few "summer-y" things before the cold sets in. For me, that means lots of hiking, bonfires, boat rides, and super-fresh foods. Foods like this Quinoa and Hummus Salad. It's kind of similar to a pasta salad, only subtract the pasta and add the quinoa :) Plus, the sauteed veggies give a great boost to the immunity system, which we can all use as the cold weather starts to set in! This is a salad that is good the first day, but GREAT the second and third days, when the flavors absorb a little better. (Think back, think waaaay back to your first school dance. 8pm, starts off awkward, no one's talking, boys on one side of the room, girls on the other. But, as time goes on, people get chatting, enjoying the music a little more, people start dancing--eventually everything works out and everybody has a great time.) Okay, maybe a bad comparison, I know, but that's what I envision happens when I store this salad in the fridge overnight. The quinoa, hummus, and veggies all get very friendly and cozy, and this salad is magically twice as delicious the next day! But enough with bad junior-high-dance comparisons and such, here is the recipe for your Quinoa and Hummus Salad:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup hummus (I used garlic hummus--yum!)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp minced garlic

Spices, depending on your taste, but I used the following:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh German Thyme
• Garlic Powder
• Parsley Flakes
• Spike Brand Gourmet Natural Seasoning

Spices are absolutely essential, they take it from a somewhat bland dish to something entirely amazing :) So, definitely add in as many of the above that you can, and feel free to experiment and add in some new flavors as well!

Directions:

Start to cook the quinoa over the stovetop according to box directions (usually it's one part quinoa to two parts water).

Dice your peppers and onion, and chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces. Sautee these all in a medium pan that has been lightly coated with cooking spray, over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring/flipping often so as not to burn. In the last minute or two, add in the minced garlic.

Remove sauteed veggies from the heat and set aside.

Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl, and stir/mix in the hummus. Now mix in about 3/4 - 1 cup of your sauteed veggies, and lastly add the spices.

Mix everything together very well, and store in the fridge until cool, or preferably overnight.

Enjoy as a side, snack, or entree! (Also great fuel for pre/post-workout)

Notes:

You'll have leftover sauteed veggies, but not to worry! There's lots of ways to use them, one of my favorite being adding them into a Southwestern Style Scrambled Tofu. Or, if you're like me, you may just gobble them up just as they are :) They'll keep for at least 3 days in the fridge, possibly longer, but they've never lasted that long in my house!

This dish serves 2 as an entree, or 3-4 as a side or snack. The entire thing will have maximum 500 calories, so 250 for one serving as an entree, I'd call that a pretty healthy low-cal meal :) Happy munching!