Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta

I've only ever tried quinoa once before and really loved the crunchy texture. Quinoa (pronounced keen wa) was an ancient food staple for the Inca civilization and has been cultivated for more 5,000 years. Today, its health benefits are huge. It contains more proteins than any other grain, is a good source of dietary fiber, gluten free and easy to digest, is high in magnesium, potassium and iron and a good source of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. There are more than 2,000 varieties of quinoa which range in color from ivory to pink, brown to red or almost black. For more information on the health benefits of quinoa, click here.

Serves 6
recipe from ABC Delicious

1 zucchini cut into 2cm thick slices
400g eggplant cut into 2cm cubes
600g butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
1 red bell pepper (capsicum) cut into 2cm pieces
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
2 cups quinoa
375ml (1 1/2 cups) chicken stock
100g (1 cup) sundried tomatoes, chopped
100g (1 cup) marinated artichokes, quartered
4 cups baby spinach leaves
100g feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 200c. Divide vegetables between 2 baking trays, drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 30 minutes or until tender and golden. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Place in a pan with stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover for a further 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

Transfer to a large bowl with vegetables, tomato, artichoke, spinach and feta. Toss to combine, season and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: I used rocket instead of spinach as I like the peppery bite you get from it. Whenever salad is being served at the table, my daughter usually eats this first (to get it out of the way!). However, tonight, she asked for seconds! My husband and I were astonished by this request. Coming from a 15 year old (soon to be 16) just confirms how good the salad tastes. Enjoy!