Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Peppers, Cucumbers, Olives and Feta

The Mediterranean diet is a style of eating that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, protein-rich beans, lentils and whole grains (like quinoa). It’s considered to be one of the healthiest diets in the world. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. This recipe, from the wonderful website A Mediterranean Dish, epitomizes the Mediterranean way of eating. Quinoa is the main ingredient and it's bursting with chopped veggies, olives and feta cheese. It’s great as a side dish with grilled meats, but don’t stop there. Add chickpeas or chunks of chicken to make it a main course.

I’ve given stove-top directions below for cooking quinoa. I used my rice cooker set on QUICK, (my set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking). Quinoa has a mild nutty taste that takes on the flavors of whatever you season it with. The only change I made to the original recipe was to halve the amounts (the original serves 8!) and lower the amount of olive oil. This delightful summer salad, low in fat, calories and WW Points, lasts for several days in the fridge, perfect leftovers for summer lunches.

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 Lemon, juice and zest

1/2 tsp. Oregano

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt.

1/4 tsp. Black pepper

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper (red and/or yellow) chopped into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, drained and halved

1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook the quinoa according to directions below. While the quinoa cooks, add the lemon juice and zest to a serving bowl, along with the oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Once the quinoa is tender and cooked, add it to the bowl with the dressing. Stir to coat and allow the quinoa to absorb the lemon dressing. Let it cool completely before adding the vegetables.

Chop the vegetables, adding them to the quinoa as you go. Stir everything together. Top with the feta cheese and serve.

Serves 4

WW Points per serving: 2

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 tsp. Salt

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water. Drain. In a medium saucepan, combine water, the rinsed quinoa and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.