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Serves
2, very generously
Author Notes
This recipe would have to be my most requested recipe.
It is super fresh and zingy from the lovely lemons, but the creaminess of the avocado, feta and pepitas balance out the dish perfectly. I generally use fresh chives because they are growing in my veggie patch, however I bet any fresh herb would be delicious. If I have some cress about, this often gets folded into the dish as well.
It is a great introduction to quinoa, and exceedingly easy to prepare. It works well on it's own for lunch, or also great as a side to roast chicken.
I urge you all to give it a go! —Eat This My Friend | Jade O'Donahoo
Ingredients
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1/3 cup
quinoa
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2
lemons, zest and juice
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80 milliliters
olive oil
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2 cups
broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
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2 ounces
feta, cubed
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1/4 cup
pepitas, dry toasted
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plenty of salt and pepper, to taste
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1/2
avocado, cubed
Directions
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Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under running water for about 30 seconds. It is best cooked by absorption method, 1 part quinoa to 1 and 1/2 parts cold water. Place water and quinoa in a saucepan over high heat until it comes to the boil, then turn the heat to low and pop a lid on. When the quinoa is ready it will swell, and a curly little tail will pop out. Quinoa should be al-dente and not mushy – this generally takes about 10-12 mins. Once it is cooked, rinse it again in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water. Make sure it gets drained very well, water logged quinoa is not at all nice.
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While the quinoa is cooking you can also blanch the broccoli florets in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Resist the urge to cook them for any longer. Drain under cold running water until cool. Pat dry with a tea towel.
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Place your lemon juice, zest, olive oil and a big pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper into a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
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Place the cooked and drained quinoa into a large serving bowl with the broccoli and chopped herbs. Pour on half the lemon dressing and toss to combine. I use my hands for this.
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Add the feta and avocado, very gently toss again and taste for seasoning – adjust if necessary (I almost always will add more salt). Sprinkle on toasted pepitas and drizzle a little more dressing on if you wish. It is now ready to serve!
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