Quinoa salad

Quinoa is the way to go...loaded with protein

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.               

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-and-black-beans/detail.aspx

           

Bow Tie Pasta Salad

This salad is easy to make, perfect for a summer gathering or lunch for a baby shower.

1 lb bow tie pasta
1 bag baby spinach
1 can artichokes quartered
1 small can sliced olives
1 avocado sliced
cherry tomatoes
Ghirard's Romano Cheese salad dressing (I use Ken's Steak House Lite Northern Italian with basil    and romano since Ghirard's is not easy to find)
Feta Cheese


Cook pasta.  Mix spinach and pasta then add all ingredients except cheese.  Pour most the bottle of dressing over salad and stir, then top with feta cheese.

Serves approx 12-15