Summer Squash Salad with Herbs and Quinoa

Their Version. Photo: Dana Gallagher; Food Styling by Vivan Lui;
Prop Styling by Paige Hicks

This is my version.

Another meal with one of those hip, fancy grains. Unlike couscous, this one I've actually tried. I can't say i enjoyed it, but I have sampled it (as a side dish with fish). If I remember correctly, it basically lacked flavor and has a weird texture. I have a texture thing with food: I don't like crunchy stuff in salad (except croutons, which I mostly pick out and eat separately), crumbly cheese, or soggy cereal. I get the feeling this meal will have at least two of these. Oh wait, I just read the teaser:  apparently its vegan--no cheese. When I told Andy it was vegan, he asked why I was wasting my time making it if we weren't going to eat it. He was the one who said I couldn't skip meals!

Summer Squash Salad with Herbs and Quinoa

Woman's Day Online, May 2014
Active time: 30 minutes         Total time: 50 minutes             Level: Moderate
Serves: 4                               Cost per serving: $2.92
Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. capers
• 1 small shallot
• 1 c. quinoa
• 2 zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 1 c. fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves
• 4 inner celery leaves and stalks
• 1/2 c. roasted, salted nuts (pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts)

First off, this is not a salad--in my world salad=lettuce (Lutheran ladies think salad=jello, but they usually at least refer to it as a jello salad). This lacks lettuce, therefore, not a salad. I just used an ACT skill for the first time ever. 

Second, why do all salads these days contain nuts? Nuts are good plain. Nuts are good on ice cream. Peanuts make a delicious spread. There is no other appropriate use for nuts in my food! I am not a vegan, I personally like my protein to come from an animal. Luckily, I have gotten very good at picking my food apart after years of practice (yes, I'm aware that Lila gets that from me).

Third, I didn't even know celery leaves were edible. I'm a bit curious about this new development. I don't particularly like raw celery (my tongue goes numb), but I'm very intrigued.

Andy has the kids today so I took his car to work. After work, I went to Hy-Vee to pick up the groceries I need for this weekends meals. After I check out, I walk out to Andy's car and start loading in the groceries. As I'm loading, I think to myself "Wow! Andy really did a good job cleaning out the back when he took the dog to the vet! I'm super impressed." So I go put my cart in the corral, walk back to the car and open the driver's side door. I then realize "This is not my car!" I then have to go get my cart, reload the groceries, and walk across the aisle to my actual car (which is way dirtier) to unload my groceries again. Luckily, the real owner of the clean car didn't come out and wonder what I was doing.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, zest lemon (2 tsp), then squeeze in 2 Tbsp juice. Add the mustard and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil, then stir in the capers and shallot; transfer 1/2 to small bowl and set aside (about 1/2 c.).
2. Cook quinoa in medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 3-5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 c. water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 3 minutes more. Season with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Fold in the reserved 1/2 c. dressing and let the quinoa cool. 
3. While the quinoa is cooking, very thinly slice the squash and zucchini and add to bowl with remaining dressing. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes. Fold in parsley, mint, celery, nuts (I used almonds) and qunioa.

This may come as a surprise, but I actually liked this one! I will still never be a vegan, and we all agreed this was more a side dish than a main dish, but it was pretty good (I didn't even pick it apart before eating it). Lila really liked the capers (if you've never had them, its basically a tiny green olive) and actually tried the squash, which I consider a win.

I thought this would be a good side dish to bring to a potluck picnic, because there are WAY more than four servings. We each had a plateful, which barely made a dent in the salad, then made hot dogs because we couldn't eat anymore salad and were still hungry (I was actually almost full, excellent diet recipe too!). Andy thought this could be modified for a fancy Thanksgiving dinner. His idea was to use the couscous/nuts/celery/parsley mint combo to stuff the turkey, then serve the squash with the mustard dressing (basically tastes like Italian) on the side. I don't know if I would do it for Thanksgiving, but it might turn out pretty good. If anyone decides to try it, let me know how it turns out!

Lila and I also made brownies, because we figured it we were having a vegetable main dish we could splurge on dessert calories. Also, bribing her with brownies was the only way I was going to get her to try this meal. Yes, I bribe my kid to eat with chocolate. No, I don't feel bad about it.

Tips: Just because a car is the same color/make/model as yours, and in the approximate place you parked, and unlocked...does not mean it is your car! If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That's it. The meal was easy to make.

Verdict: Taste of Day Pass.

They were playing super heroes. Andy wouldn't wear his costume
in the picture though (a mask with an Olaf blanket cape).