Quinoa Salad with figs & red onion

I found this recipe online last year and let me tell you...it is a crowd pleaser. It called for winter wheat berries and since I had NO idea what the heck those were or where to even find them, I decided to go with quinoa instead. Quinoa is super easy to cook with, has a ton of protein and a yummy nutty flavor. I have made this dish for a few events and everyone raved about it. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Quinoa Salad with Figs & Red Onion

1 1/2 cups Quinoa
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons agave
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped finely
1/2 medium red onion (about 1/3 pound)
3 large stalks celery
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 2 lemons
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Handful fresh parsley or mint, finely chopped
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Cook quinoa as directed on the package.

While the quinoa is cooking, whisk the rice vinegar, orange juice, and honey together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the raisins and chopped figs. Turn off the heat and let the fruit steep in the juice and vinegar mixture.
Finely dice the red onion; you will end up with between 1 and 1 1/2 cups. Finely dice the celery as well; you will have between 1 1/2 and 2 cups. Mix them in a large bowl.

When the quinoa is cooked, pour into a large bowl with the red onion and celery. Toss with the olive oil and lemon zest. Add the vinegar and juice mixture, and all the fruit, and mix. Toss with the almonds, chopped parsley or mint, and with the salt. Add pepper to taste.

Let the salad stand at room temperature for at least one hour before serving, to allow the flavors mix and soak into the grain. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The salad can also be refrigerated for up to three days.

It started with a muscle test

About a year and a half ago I went to see Dr. Khalsa, a local acupuncturist for a routine appointment. I discussed with him that I had been having stomachaches for years. By years, I mean my whole entire life. He suggested that we do a muscle test to see what foods I digest and which ones I don't do well with. Fast forward to the results. He told me that I don't digest meat, chocolate, sugar, cheese, eggs, gluten, etc. Basically he told me that I didn't digest any of my favorite foods. He suggested that I start to remove these items to see how I feel. At this point, I start to hyperventilate. Telling me that I can't have cheese, sugar, or meat is like telling me that I can't breathe. It felt like a death sentence.

I started small by cutting out meat. I did this for a couple of months. In Febuary of last year we had that huge snow storm. I got snowed in with a couple of my girlfriends and we basically lived off triple creme brie, smoked salmon, avocado, French bread and ice cream. I thought my stomach was going to explode after four days of intense dairy eating. I researched a few cleanses and found one that Ellen had mentioned on her show called the 21-day quantum wellness cleanse. With this cleanse you had to remove all animal products, sugar and gluten products. I somehow managed to survive the 21-day cleanse and LOVED it. I had never felt so good in my life. My stomachaches went away, I was sleeping better and had way more energy.

It's been over a year now as a vegan and I love every moment of it. I would have never expected that I could live an animal product free life let alone do it willingly. Since I became a vegan, people have started to come to me for advice on the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. I owe so many people recipes, tips, or advice on all things vegan. Because of this, the blog was born. I promise to post tips, recipes and thoughts on what has worked/not worked for me.


Stay tuned!