whole foods // whole grains

i have always wanted to go to whole foods. every time i'm in america, i drive by and want to go in so badly but for some reason it has never worked in my favour, until my last visit to our southern neighbour. when i got inside i felt giddy. it's funny how being in a grocery store can make you feel like that. i got two salads from the deli, some aged gouda cheese, some crusty bread and my guy got some pizza which turned out to the be the best pizza of our lives. we are planning a little weekend getaway for ourselves in mid febuary and i'm dreaming of walking those aisles again already.

lately i have been eating a lot of quinoa salad, my mom's recipe. it is so simple, tasty and healthy. sometimes i eat it by itself and others i put it on top of some mixed greens, either way, it's delicious.

quinoa salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable/chicken broth

put the quinoa and broth in a pot, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. turn off the heat and let it sit for five more minutes. cool.

2 bell peppers, any colour will do, chopped
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 of a cucumber, chopped
feta cheese, as much as you like

put all of the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. when quinoa is cooled, mix all together with greek dressing.

dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

shake all ingredients together in a mason jar. this will make more than enough for the salad.

yum!

hope your day is as chilly as mine, winter is finally here!

v. xo