Sweet Peppers, Mint and Apple, Orzo Salad

The rain may have kaiboshed our berry picking plans for today, but it didn't spoil our picnic! Well... I guess it sorta did since we ate it in our kitchen, but it was still quite the treat! You see planning for the picnic today really got my arse in gear to recreate the orzo salad we fell in love with on our Lighthouse Picnic. I'm happy to report it was a successful attempt, tastes delish if I do say so myself ;)

Losing my Quinoa Virginity!

So a few months back I took the plunge and gave into the hype surrounding Quinoa. For those of you not 100% familiar with Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah), check out Chatelaine Magazine for more on its benefits. It really is a great little grain-like friend to have in your kitchen. It's as versatile as rice and pasta, and can be so easily infused with flavour!

Though I will admit, it was a bit of a struggle to find at the grocery store. It took 3 failed shopping trips, scouring the aisles of 2 separate supermarket chains, to finally stumble across it in the Organics section. Heads up - check there first!

Once acquired, I put the quinoa to work in a recipe I found in my absolute favourite cookbook, The Looneyspoons Collection. More specifically it was entitled: 'Moroccan and Rollin' Quinoa Salad. This was a delicious salad with so much flavour, I cant wait to make it again! Enjoy.