Greek Quinoa Grain Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ Cup Tri Color Quinoa
• 1 English Cucumber
• 4 oz Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Lemon
• 1 ½ oz Sweety Drop Peppers
• 1 ½ oz Pitted Kalamata Olives
• 3 Oregano Sprigs
• 5 ⅓ oz Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 oz Feta Cheese
• Olive Oil
• Salt Pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook Within: Why rinse quinoa before cooking? Every grain has a natural coating on its exterior that can taste soapy when cooked. In addition to being delicious, the monounsaturated fats in olives may help decrease blood pressure.

2. 2

   Cook the Quinoa: Rinse quinoa in a wire-mesh strainer. Bring a small pot with rinsed quinoa, 2 ½ cups water, and ½ tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 18-20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa grains have “sprouted.” Set aside. Rinse wire-mesh strainer clean.

3. 3

   Make the Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce: In bowl used for vinaigrette, combine yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and remaining oregano (reserve a pinch for garnish).

4. 4

   Prepare the Ingredients: Trim cucumber, halve lengthwise, and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut half into ¼” dice. Grate other half and drain 5 minutes in wire-mesh strainer. Halve grape tomatoes. Peel and mince shallot. Zest lemon, halve, and juice. Drain Sweety Drop peppers and coarsely chop. Halve olives. Stem and coarsely chop

5. 5

   Plate the Dish: Place a serving of quinoa on a plate. Top with (or artfully arrange) Sweety Drop peppers (to taste), tomatoes, diced cucumber, olives, and crumbled feta. Top with yogurt sauce or serve on side. Garnish with reserved oregano.

6. 6

   Whisk to combine and season with ½ tsp. salt and: a pinch of pepper. Add vinaigrette to pot with still- warm quinoa and stir to combine. Wipe small mixing recipe–it has bigger grains and is easier to pinch than table salt, allowing more control over flavor. If using regular table salt, reduce measured amounts twice in this recipe. Grated cucumber goes in yogurt sauce and diced cucumber is added to final bowl. used twice in this recipe. 1 Tbsp. is used in both the vinaigrette and cucumber- • Sweety Drop peppers are a mix of mild heat and sweetness. Go ahead and try one, then use to taste in grain three times. Half goes into vinaigrette, half goes into cucumber-yogurt sauce, and a pinch garnishes the dish. the recipe before you start–we promise it will be time • Place a wire-mesh strainer in