Quinoa (Keen-Wah) California Salad

This is a recipe that I got really into making the first year of Chance & I's marriage. It was the default "healthy" dinner (and it really is!). It is adapted from a salad recipe that was given to me by our former college pastor's wife. So I am calling this the "Quinoa California Salad".





Ingredients

2 cups organic baby spinach

1 cup red leaf lettuce (or romaine)

1/2 c. slivered almonds or candied walnuts

2 green onion stalks, slivered & sliced (use both green & white part)

1/4 c. red grapes, halved

1 green apple (Granny Smith), chopped

1 ripened avocado, sliced
A few shakes of Feta cheese (about 1/4 c.) 

1 c. cooked organic quinoa (use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor)

2 grilled chicken breasts (seasoned)

Dressing:
Juice from 1/2 of an orange
1-2 tbs. safflower or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. poppyseeds
1/2 tsp. organic, all-natural sugar
2 tsp. rice vinegar

Directions
Add all salad ingredients (after chopping + slicing) to a large bowl. I like to put the greens, spinach & lettuce, in first then all the add-ons on top because it looks so pretty that way! You can also add raisins to the salad, but the fruit makes it sweet enough. Serve with quinoa and chicken breast on the side OR cut up your chicken in bite-size pieces and add the quinoa on top of the salad greens! Add your own individual dressing, I hate soggy salads. And as a bonus this is a great salad to have at work as leftovers the next day.

Like I said before, this is our healthy to-go meal ... and for Chance that means his "detox" after a not-so-healthy lunch at the nearby Luby's Cafeteria - don't worry, I still love him :)