Grilled Vegetable & Quinoa Salad with Herb-Feta Vinaigrette

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Grilled Vegetable & Quinoa Salad with Herb-Feta Vinaigrette

Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes • Serves: 8

Herb-Feta Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons gluten-free red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon gluten-free Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

Grilled Vegetable & Quinoa Salad

1-1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
2 medium Roma tomatoes, each cut lengthwise in half
1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 medium red onion, peeled, root left intact, and cut into quarters
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into thirds
1 red bell pepper, quartered
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.

2. Prepare Herb-Feta Vinaigrette: In medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended. Whisking constantly and vigorously, very slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until dressing is emulsified; stir in cheese and herbs. Makes about 3/4 cup.

3. In fine-mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse quinoa with cold water; drain. In small saucepot, heat water and quinoa to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 13 to 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

4. Meanwhile, prepare Grilled Vegetable & Quinoa Salad: Place vegetables on rimmed baking pan; spray vegetables with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onion and bell pepper in barbecue grill topper. Place grill topper, tomatoes (cut side down), zucchini and eggplant on hot grill rack. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until grill marks appear on tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant, stirring vegetables in grill topper occasionally. Transfer tomatoes to plate. Turn zucchini and eggplant. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring vegetables in grill topper occasionally.

5. To serve, transfer quinoa to large serving bowl. Cut root off onion quarters; cut vegetables into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to bowl with quinoa. Add Herb-Feta Vinaigrette and toss to combine. Makes about 8 cups. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Toss well before serving.

Approximate nutritional values per serving:
264 Calories, 13g Fat (2g Saturated), 4mg Cholesterol,
292mg Sodium, 31g Carbohydrates, 6g Fiber, 7g Protein

Chef Tip:
Vinaigrette can be prepared, covered and refrigerated up to 1 week.

Dietitian’s Dish Tips:
> Quinoa is gluten-free grain and one of the only plant sources offering a complete protein. It has more protein than carbohydrate and has one of the highest sources of potassium in a whole grain – good for diabetes and blood pressure control.

> Like other quick cooking grains, quinoa takes about 15 minutes. It can be a protein and nutrient-rich substitute for rice in recipes.