infusione/infusion

By now, you know that quinoa is one of my favorite goods. As pasta or rice is a staple in many homes, quinoa is an indispensable ingredient in mine. As if my admiration for the healthy vegetable protein didn’t already border obsession, Wendy’s method of dissolving turmeric power in the cooking water made my head swirl with delight. Now, I am not a huge fan of turmeric, but I adore fennel. With fennel powder in my pantry aching to be incorporated into something, I knew what I had to do. The perverbial writing was on the wall. I made my own version of Wendy’s Jeweled Quinoa.

Fennel pairs with citrus flawlessly, so this salad was the perfect opportunity to try the Nudo Italia Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Mandarin Oranges I received in one of my Blog Her swag bags. The flavors married without argument.

Enough to cover three days of lunches, the preparation of this salad was quick, no more than ten minutes. And, the majority of the cooking time doesn’t involve any human contact. Two simple, yet undeniable points make this a perfect dish to whip up in a moment’s notice.

Don’t have access to fennel powder? Don’t have citrus flavored olive oil? No worries. Regular oil would be just a great. Dicing a fennel bulb and sautéing it with the onion and peppers would be a comparable substitute for the powder. Or adding fennel seeds. I also think that the next time I prepare this dish I will incorporate fresh orange slices/segments just before serving.  The freshness will add a delicious burst of flavor. What do you think?

(Since this salad is vegetable and herb full, I think I am going to pass it along to Anh from A Food Lover’s Journey who is hosting the fabulous and always reliable Weekend Herb Blogging.)

Other Quinoa Goodness

• Quinoa Granola (Vegan & Gluten-free)
• Quinoa and Lentil Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Red Quinoa, Eggplant and Chickpea Salad
• Meat(less) Balls
• Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù and Hiking at Donut Falls
• Spinach Apricot Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa Cakes with Snow Peas and Tilapia
• Quinoa Sausage Bake
• Quinoa Butternut Squash Casserole

Around the way…

• Tami (Running with Tweezers): Summer Quinoa Salad
• Big T’s Big Green Egg Recipe Blog: Quinoa Caprese Salad
• OC Family Blog: Kid Friendly Quinoa Salad
• Mark Bittman Recipe: Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
• Kalyn’s Kitchen: Quinoa Side Dish with Pine Nuts, Green Onions, and Cilantro & Chicken, Broccoli, and Quinoa Casserole with Creamy Curry Sauce
• Bran Appetit – Quinoa with Zucchini, Blueberries, and Feta
• Coconut & Quinoa: Chickpea Tagine

Tagged as: dinner, fennel salad, gluten-free, healthy, Italian, Orange Fennel Quinoa Salad, Orange Fennel salad, quick and easy, Quinoa, Quinoa salad, Salad, Vegan, vegetable quinoa, vegetables, Vegetarian