Sometimes being indulgent means buying a beautiful dish and serving a recipe that delights the eyes as well as the palate. Making an ordinary lunch a special occasion with crisp, colorful salads and fun finger foods can feel like a brief stay at a spa. Inspired by Scrumptious at In My Box, I made some chard spring rolls with lemon, ginger tahini dipping sauce. The chard at the market was young and tender. The beets and carrots, basil and mint from the garden were full of life and color and flavor. When I saw the spring rolls on her menu, I knew that was how I would prepare this abundance.
Then I saw a coupon in the Whole Foods flyer for their Chickpea, Zucchini and Quinoa salad with a citrus vinaigrette and was inspired to come home and make my own.
1 cup toasted quinoa cooked in 2 cups of water–toast dry quinoa in a skillet until it starts popping and before it gets too brown
1 can drained chickpeas
1 c shredded zucchini( you may also add other shredded veggies-I used the leftover carrots and beets from the spring rolls to add more color)
Dressing:
3TBS olive oil
3TBs orange juice
3TBS pomegranate or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1/2 salt
Toss together after cooked quinoa has cooled. Chill and serve.
Served together, these two recipes made me feel special. Paired with a glass of iced green tea that had been infused with mint from the garden and topped with frozen raspberries from the farmers’ market, I felt indulgent and pampered without the calories and regret of other indulgent meals I’ve savored. It was also a cool oasis on this 90 plus degree summer day.
This is part of Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free. Stop by and see how others are satisfying their indulgent sides. Amy has agreed to be part of my 30 Days to 50 support team and will be joining me in a couple weeks with some tips to help me on my path to fitness.
