Castellon's Kitchen: Summer Corn and Red Quinoa Salad

This is one of those accidental throw together salads that I made last summer that turned into something really refreshing and summer wonderful. I am a huge fan of Greek flavors...cucumbers, feta cheese, roasted red and Greek peppers...what's not to love, right? The brightness of the lemon zest really makes these ingredients sing and makes for a nice change of pace from your typical vinaigrette pasta salad. It goes very well with BBQ chicken, ribs, sandwiches, and even as a topper to your favorite mixed greens.

Feel free to substitute with orzo pasta or another small pasta if you don't like quinoa. I like using quinoa because the small grains hold the dressing well and packs flavor in every bite, plus you get the added protein. Also if you are not a fan of pepperoncini substitute with green olives. I used red quinoa for contrast in the photos so feel free to use your favorite. Happy Summer Days!

Summer Corn and Red Quinoa Salad

Serves 8

1 cup quinoa, rinsed, prepared and cooled
1 lb corn frozen kernels or 3 cups of fresh yellow corn
3 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup roasted red bell pepper, diced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
pepperoncini, finely minced
generous amount of zest of 1 lemon

Greek Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Dijon mustard
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 t. oregano
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Prepare quinoa according to package directions. I used chicken broth but you can substitute with water or vegetable broth.
Prepare vegetables. I used frozen corn to add to the hot quinoa to quicken the cooling process, but you can use corn cut from the cob once the quinoa is cooled. Add veggies, cheese and dressing and mix. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Add additional dressing if needed.