A Muse in My Kitchen
Zucchini Quinoa Salad
What is it about Sunday nights?
Every Sunday night, I try to make up for the sins of the week.
Oh – and this week was sinful. We had our 3 5-year old grandsons for 2 days and it was pizza, hamburgers, more pizza and bacon. What was I supposed to do? Eat yogurt when everyone else was having pizza?
I kept telling myself – come Sunday, it will be alright.
I was determined to make a healthy but filling meal. Start with the main course – baked halibut. But what to have on the side? I’ve been so starved for vegetables! Browsing through FoodGawker, I found the most delightful salad from Katy’s Kitchen that incorporates quinoa, romaine lettuce, kalamara olives, cherry tomatoes and…
Parmesan zucchini!
This really spoke to my heart as my Mom used to make Parmesan zucchini at the end of summer when the zucchini was taking over our kitchen and our lives! She would pan fry it and we would eat it as a snack and the main meal.
This salad could stand on its own as a main course or a perfect side dish to any protein – like chicken, shrimp or fish.
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 medium zucchini
- Olive Oil Spray
- Parmesan
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped romaine
- 1/ 4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- DRESSING:
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbs. Olive Oil
- Parmesan Cheese to taste
- Prepare zucchini
- Set oven to broil and line a baking pan with aluminum foil
- Slice zucchini into ½ inch slices.
- Place on pan, and spray with olive oil.
- Sprinkle on Parmesan, seasoned salt and pepper.
- Broil for 3-4 minutes, turn zucchinis, and broil for another minute until cheese is golden brown.
- Remove zucchini and cool.
- Prepare dressing by whisking all ingredients together.
- Toss with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, zucchini and quinoa with dressing and serve immediately.
