Itsy Bitsy Foodies

This could also be called the cleaning-out-the-fridge salad.  That’s literally what I was doing (the first time I made it) so the measurements are very rough — to taste and according to how much we had.  But we knew it was a keeper when the next day we went to the store to buy the same ingredients that we were trying to get rid of, just to make the “leftovers” quinoa salad again.

Two partial cans of tomato paste, chicken broth and basic Italian seasonings made a basic pizza-style sauce.  Some leftover ricotta cheese transformed it into a lasagne-esque sauce.  A batch of quinoa, a medley of roasted red, orange and yellow peppers*, chopped ham {Hormel’s Natural Choice, No Preservatives Smoked Deli Ham and Smoked Turkey Kielbasa}, chopped artichoke hearts and feta cheese rounded out this pasta-less salad.  I was eating it by the spoonful as a main course but it would make a hearty side dish or a yummy filling for stuffed chicken or pasta.  We are now on our third batch in three days.  It is so easy and makes a filling and nutritious snack, lunch and dinner.

*As for the roasted peppers, in the first batch I used ones that I had roasted several months ago and then frozen. Maybe one day I will can my own roasted peppers but until that day, I am excited to have found an easy way to preserve them!