Grape Expectations
Consider, for a moment, the humble grape.
A tiny fruit, rather unimpressive to look at, occasionally full of irritating seeds, sometimes sour, very often overripe. And yet.
AND YET.
That same humble grape can become wine, aka the font of all things holy.
That same humble grape can become sundried, adding perfect texture to any number of desserts (Team Raisin over here, btw).
That same humble grape can be chopped up and mixed with unlikely ingredients such as rotisserie chicken, spinach and quinoa for what is arguably world's most perfect summer salad. Yep, I said it.
It does sound weird: a quinoa base with wilted spinach, shredded chicken, halved grapes and a tangy vinaigrette. But trust me, it's amazeballs. That's a technical term. Plus, it takes almost no time at all to come together. While you're cooking the quinoa, you can shred the chicken and halve the grapes.
It's a really nice, light dish that's perfect when you really don't want to cook but also know that fried chicken is not good for you. So you're done in 20 minutes, have a delicious dinner on the table, and hopefully leftovers for lunch tomorrow (because this keeps really well in the fridge).
This is a very malleable salad so feel free to customize it as you want: slivered almonds, subbing the chicken out for salmon or ground turkey, adding quick-pickled vegetables -- the choice is yours.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 c. quinoa
2 tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tbs. dijon mustard
2 tbs. EVOO
1/4 tsp. sea salt, to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 c. green or red grapes, halved
2 1/2 c. raw baby spinach leaves, rinsed
Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook about 12 minutes. Add raw spinach, stir to combine and continue to simmer for about 3 to 5 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove quinoa mixture to a large bowl and refrigerate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add oil, whisking well.
3. Combine grapes and chicken with the quinoa mixture. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and stir to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
