Saturday, March 29

Tuna Quinoa Spinach Salad

G-F Pantry Spring cleaning!  

It's time!  The once-a-year clean, fling, and installation of new freezer paper lining in the pantries.  Feels So Good!

Spring beckons the salad season and the depths of the pantry unearth many intriguing options for salad, quinoa, craisins, almonds, tuna?I can't wait for the newest sampling.  

 (I could have taken before and after photos of cleaning but that would have been mortifying--no one should have evidence of how badly winter corrupts the closets.  

When I cook, I try to shop from the pantry--keeping at least one extra bottle of whatever shelf staple available in my storage, but I'm also a winter ingredient collector so I look forward to finding recipes for  smoked paprika, ghee, chinese five spice, sorghum molasses, pickled beets, coconut milk powder, hot curry powder, hoisen, miso, pickled ginger, pho spice, YUM!   
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Last posted 5-19-11  


Tuna Quinoa Spinach Salad

DANG! I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES! TRUST ME! This one was delicious!!! I'll make it again sometime and take photos.              (Here they are!  See?  I DiD It!)

This salad came together so quickly and deliciously. I use so many teaspoons when I cook because I'm always snatching one up to taste as I go. Sometimes, if the dish is really good, there is not much of it left at the end.

I used cooked quinoa in this one. Most quinoa is sold in America already debittered so we don't have to rinse the bitter coating off before cooking. I tossed two cups in the rice cooker with two cups water and clicked the on button. It is done in a flash while I'm putting together the rest of the salad. I mix it all up and dress the salad while the quinoa is still warm so it can fully absorb the dressing flavors. (This was Mom's secret for the best potato salad on the planet.)

2 cans tuna drained
2 cups cooked quinoa  (1 cup uncooked)
1 cup sliced almonds 
1 lb. baby spinach (sliced)
1 cup craisins
2 cups apples diced and splashed with
2 tsps. lemon juice

I mix up the dressing as follows:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup onion (mild and diced)
1/2 tsp salt

Eat it warm, or cool a couple hours or overnight and serve with crusty bread. Then take it to a ladies Mix-n-mingle and everyone will love it and ask for the recipe and you will get your 15 minutes of fame. Voila!


It's worth a try right?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I cant wait to try this one!! We love quinoa but I havent made it in my rice cooker, I wondered if that would work. TY!! Miss u and wish I had more time to read blogs because I really enjoy yours!! val:)

Sabeys said...

Bwahahaha. You are cute, "worth a try, right?" Um, but cool A COUPLE OF HOURS? not gonna work for this gal. I need to eat it in... 15 minutes. Wish that were April fools.