Quinoa Salad with Cress and Avocado

I'm really excited about this dish as it's got my own home-grown cress in it! Cress is the easiest and quickest food to grow at home, but its strong flavour means it's great to add to salads, stir fries, pastas, sandwiches etc. Nutritionally it's great too as it is high in vitamins A, C and E and also a good source of dietary fibre. A handful can really transform any dish!

Serves one.

You will need:

45g Quinoa

1 tomato

3-4 inch chunk of cucumber

Half an avocado

Small handful of cress

Red onion rings for garnish

Squeeze of lime juice

Tablespoon of homemade hummus

Salt and Pepper

Method:

First cook the quinoa. Pour into a pan with salt and pepper. Cover with boiling water so it's about an 1-2 inches deep. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for approx. 10 minutes - keep an eye on it. All the water should absorb, but don't allow it to dry out completely either. Once cooked, set aside to cool.

Dice the tomatoes and cucumber into half centimetre cubes.

Slice the avocado into large chunks.

Combine the cooled quinoa with the diced cucumber, tomato and cress. Add a squeeze of lime and some more pepper.

Place into a bowl and arrange the avocado chunks around the edge, then add a dollop of hummus on top. Garnish with the red onion rings.

So easy, and great for packed lunches.

***Top Tip*** For packed lunches cook a large batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week, and each day add your fresh ingredients.

#quinoa #salad #avocado #cress #hummus