The good news is that I am officially finished and graduated and ready to become - gulp - a real adult person, which means I can now find plenty of time for cooking. Hoorah.
I thought I would start off with one of my go to summer salads, something that's easy to make, looks and tastes delicious, plus is a little more exotic and interesting (both for the eyes and the tongue) than a somewhat overdone caesar salad or chicken club sandwich for when you're feeling like a light meal. I know that, for us Britons at least, the summer really hasn't started, but what the heck - maybe this summertime dish will encourage the weather to finally perk up.
Quinoa with feta, pomegranate seeds and mint, served with a lemon vinaigrette
Ingredients:
75g quinoa
100g feta
1-2 pomegranates
handful of mint leaves
50ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
50ml good quality olive oil
salt and pepper, to season
Method:
1. Cook the quinoa following the instructions on the packet, then drain and rinse thoroughly, setting aside for later.
2. In the meantime, chop the feta into chunks and chop the mint leaves into shreds. Put in a large bowl with the pomegranate seeds (if you're struggling getting the seeds out, try holding half the pomegranate over the bowl and banging with a wooden spoon, never fails for me).
3. In a measuring jug, measure out the lemon juice (making sure to squeeze the lemon through your fingers, in order to catch any pips) and then add the olive oil, mixing thoroughly until combined. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste (obviously you can play around with the quantities - if you like it really lemony then feel free to add more lemon and vice versa)
4. Tip the quinoa into the bowl with the feta, pomegranate seeds and mint, and stir well. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the top and serve.
5. Finish with a handful of mint leaves and a few more pomegranate seeds to make it look beautiful.
And it's as simple as that. The flavours are super clean and fresh, but mainly I love the fact that the dish ends up looking so vibrant and colourful, just perfect for summer (when it finally arrives...)
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