Mediterranean Quinoa

Yesterday was one of those days of overscheduling and packing too much in, and by the time my tummy was signaling it was ready for me to call it quits for the night and get something on the table, I realized I was at a loss for what to make that would satisfy the hunger.  I had a craving for something salty, so I was thinking maybe olives would do the trick. With salt as my guide, I rummaged around the kitchen for what I could pull together into a quick meal.

The default option would've been pasta, but on this rare occasion I didn't have any on hand.  I didn't want to wait for rice to cook, and even though I've made an awesome lentil and olive pilaf in the past,  I wasn't in the mood for something that heavy.  So I decided that quick cooking quinoa would provide the backdrop for the meal.

I combined the cooked quinoa with a contrasting color palette of red and green:  chopped kale, roasted red peppers, capers, kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes.  To round out the pilaf and add some substance, I tossed in a can of red beans.  Of course, everything was doused liberally with olive oil and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper, dried oregano, and fresh basil from the garden.

Pretty good result considering the theme of the evening began with the mantra "Just Get It on the Table."