Spinach strawberry quinoa salad with orange vinaigrette
It’s starting to feel a little late to ask, but how was everyone’s 4th of July? Ours somewhat came and went, but was nice, still. Growing up, the 4th was never really bursting with fireworks. Instead it sparkled with sparklers, my grandmother’s favorite. We had the traditional family cookout with cousins at my grandparents’ house; festivities were fun on the quiet side.
Given the history, it makes sense that the 4th was always more of a pleasant and enjoyable day than something to actually look forward to. Marrying a Brit, it slipped even further down the ranks of holiday notice, perhaps even thumping down somewhere in the vicinity of Pi day. That said, its position in the calendar is stirring. My Dad’s birthday is on the 3rd, and my late grandmother’s was on the 7th, so the 4th was a natural time to celebrate both. That, and my grandmother’s fondness for the 4th, seen tantalizingly from her white linen, picnic table spread of homemade baked beans, coleslaw and the like, combine to bowl me over with a certain sentimental longing every summer. I need some kind of semblance of fireworks, even if it’s gazing at the stars in the sky. I miss my grandmother.
This year, I fell into the most crummy, hormonal funk on 4th of July weekend, and had no idea why. There were plenty of trivial things to blame it on that exacerbated the state of mind, but they weren’t responsible. I was tired from a solid long run that got endorphins one day before but dropped me longing for an unattainable more the next; Chef F picked the wrong time to be just a little sassy; and stuff not worth a mention. On other years, I would have remembered, ‘oh yeah, this is one of those times I really miss my grandmother, and it’s painful’, but this year that recognition took awhile.
It goes without saying, this year is different for everyone. So many moments of joy and gratitude that we wholly appreciate, working to find that line of sharing the joy without flaunting it; at least as many moments tinged with worry, anxiety, sorrow, grief, anger, and a strange sense of being adrift. We are trying to stretch ourselves to do all the things with slashed social outlets and while all is well, we are tired. In this way, time keeps on flowing and taking us by surprise in the way it has passed. There’s a simultaneous feeling of time taking forever or having been so long ago, it’s almost as if they never happened. A friend asked on Facebook the other day if others were struggling with finding things to look forward to, and it struck me that while I don’t lack of moments to enjoy and look forward to, a general fatigue tempers the excitement. There is a silver lining, though. For now, creating and breathing in moments of stillness have reasserted themselves. They aren’t substitutes, but sometimes they’re better. Especially when there are woods and water in reach with loving company, just breathing in quiet.
So all this brings us somehow to…salad. When it finally twigged that the sadness I was dwelling in was not just world-weariness but some annual nostalgia, something lifted. I was able to pick up and start reveling in color again. We had quiet vegan cookout-style food throughout the weekend, like this simple, easy to prep, easier to vary salad that reminds me of picking wild strawberries with my grandmother in her backyard, feeling their plump ripeness burst in my cheeks. Enjoy, breathe deep, and be well! xo
Spinach strawberry quinoa salad with orange vinaigrette
Serves 4
For the dressing:
1/4 Cup fresh orange juice
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon lemon zest
For the salad:
1 Cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 Cups water or mix of water and low-sodium vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce package tofu, cut into cubes and baked until just crispy*
2 Cups fresh sliced strawberries
1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 Cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 Cup dry roasted sunflower seeds
*I like to bake on a silpat-lined tray in a 400F oven for approximately 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
Cook the quinoa.: Combine the rinsed quinoa and water or broth in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease heat and simmer gently until the quinoa has absorbed all the water, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in orange zest, then cover and let rest.
Prepare the dressing: You can whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, but I love being lazy and giving them all a good shake in a sealed jar.
Assemble how you like: divide quinoa evenly between bowls, then top with equal portions of remaining ingredients, or mix all components in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing, to serve.