Blueberry Quinoa Salad

At this point, I might as well admit that I have recently been working on all these blueberry recipes for a cool blueberry contest I found online. It's been fun coming up with new dishes and I mean it wouldn't totally suck to win some prize money.  So here's the last of it, a great little salad. Perfect for lunch or served with some grilled chicken perhaps.

It all starts with some roasted blueberries, which I've got to admit are pretty damn great. If I had more time I think I would make a good six more recipes with roasted blueberries. I will most definitely be roasting more fruit in the near future. And let's also address the fact that I now fully appreciate the combination of blueberries and basil. I'm hooked.

Blueberry Quinoa Salad

*makes 2-4 servings

2/3 cups fresh blueberries

olive oil, to drizzle

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup chevre, fresh goat cheese, crumbled

4 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

2 tbl olive oil

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp very finely chopped shallot

salt & black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread the blueberries on it. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast in the oven for three minutes or just until the juices start to burst out.

2. Meanwhile, if you haven't done so, cook the quinoa according to instructions on the bag or box.(Boil 1 1/4 cup of water, add quinoa, simmer covered over medium low for about 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.) Let cool.

3. Make the dressing, mix the bottom 5 ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, shallot, salt, and pepper to taste

4. Gently mix the quinoa with the goat cheese, basil, and blueberries. And toss with the dressing.

Blueberries, Blueberries, Blueberries... http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/