After I returned from Austria and once again became contactable via email and phones, a flurry of enagement celebration dinner requests came in.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, I love food, and I certainly love to celebrate, but after the vacation I just wanted to slowly slip back into the daily grind, and not worry about scheduling.  But, we did want to celebrate with our friends and family, so we had four dinners in two weeks, three at my apartment, two of which I cooked for. 

I needed a recipe for a great side that would be easily adaptable to larger (and smaller) groups, that was affordable, that would impress (I guess I didn’t need to do this), and that was of course, gluten-free.  If you are a frequent New York Times online reader, you’ll recognize the following recipe.  It not only made it to the 10 most emailed articles, but stayed there for a good week. 

Quinoa, Tomato, and Cucumber Salad

here is the original

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

2 cups diced cucumber

2 cups finely diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 lime’s juice

3 tablespoons oilive oil (more, or less, to taste)

1 avocado, chopped

salt and pepper

Get your quinoa ready, by filling a medium pot with 2 cups of water.  Rinse the quinoa thouroughly to get ride of the bitter taste that sits on the shell.  Bring the water to a boil, pour in the rinsed quinoa, return to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes, or until the quinoa is ready (they will sort of “pop” and become translucent). 

Peel, then seed your cucumbers by taking a spoon to the middle and scraping out the seeds.  Dice them, then cover with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes.  THis draws the water out of the bloated veggies and makes them crunchier.  WHen they’re done, rinse the salt off with cold water.  Seed and dice the tomatoes (seeding isn’t necessary, but I think it makes the salad crunchier and less watery).  Repeat for the peppers, then place the diced veggies into a large bowl. 

Add the quinoa, lime juice, cilantro, and olive oil to the bowl.  When you’re about ready to serve, chop the avacados, and add them into the mix.  Salt and pepper to taste.  And, you’re done! 

I made this twice: once for my family, once for a couple and both groups loved it.  I may need a bit before I want to eat it again, but I think next time I make it, I’ll add some fresh corn from a cob, and maybe some black beans.