In cooler months I tend to make grain bowls with heavier ingredients such as barley and sweet potatoes. But during the warmer months I take advantage of the cool, crisp, fresh ingredients of summer. This recipe offers so much protein that I call it a powerhouse. And with the array of fresh ingredients mixed in, it easily identifies as a salad.
Cooked grains, roasted chickpeas and tofu, mixed with fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and tangy olives combine to give us the tastiest serving of veggies and protein I’ve had all season.
A light dressing of vinegar and oil is nice to finish this powerhouse salad with. Or try the Braggs oil-free dressing; it doesn’t disappoint.
Note: I went to pull the jar of quinoa out that I keep in my pantry, only to find I didn’t have enough for this recipe. So, I mixed what I had with couscous. It worked well, but you’ll get the most bang for your nutritional buck if you stick with the quinoa.
Enjoy food made fresh!
Powerhouse Salad
1 (15-ounce) chickpeas 6-ounce block extra firm tofu 6 spritz of avocado spray ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 medium cucumber, finely diced 1/3 cup finely diced red onion 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved 8 leaves basil, rolled together and sliced Vinegar and oil, or Braggs oil-free dressing, to serve Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain chickpeas and place them onto paper towels and gently dry off any residual liquid with another paper towel. Discard any loose skins. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press any excess liquid from the block of tofu between paper towels, (I like to purchase pre-pressed tofu when available). Dice tofu into ¼-inch cubes and add it to the chickpeas on the baking sheet. Spritz chickpeas and tofu with avocado oil. In a small dish, stir together salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Season the chickpeas and tofu with the mixture. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, toss chickpeas and tofu, with quinoa, tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and basil. Each serving can be dressed with oil and vinegar or oil-free vinaigrette. Makes 4 servings.
Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.
