Recipe Time

I found this recipe on the website The Daily Meal  (http://www.thedailymeal.com/quinoa-feta-cilantro-and-hearts-palm). This recipe is by Yasmin Fahr. For more of her recipes please see The Daily Meal website. 

Quinoa with Feta, Cilantro and Hearts of Palm

Quinoa, a protein-packed grain, has a nutty quality to it that works with a variety of dishes — maybe none easier than this one. The quinoa was still warm when I added it to the rest of the ingredients, so it caused the cheese to melt a little, which was clutch. Because of the creaminess from the feta, there was no need for any additional fat or oil. A splash of red wine vinegar or lemon doesn't hurt if you feel like you need it, but honestly, I don't think you will. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup crumbled feta, preferably Bulgarian
• ½ cup grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 or 4 stalks of hearts of palm, cut into small rounds
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Pour the quinoa into a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add a pinch of salt and the oil, then turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 7-10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. 

While the quinoa is cooking, use this time to prep the remaining ingredients, combining them in a serving  bowl. Add the quinoa and mix together. Season to taste and serve. 

Details

Serves 4 as an appetizer or side dish and 2 as a main course

Total time: Less than 20 minutes

Read more: http://www.thedailymeal.com/quinoa-feta-cilantro-and-hearts-palm#ixzz1JI1HJQet

A little side-note: Hearts of Palm is indeed from certain types of palm trees and is very delicious. But I imagine it would be somewhat difficult for the average or not so average gardener to cultivate and harvest. 

Cilantro is easy. You can grow it on your windowsill. In fact it should have been one of the plants I should have chosen to grow for this blog. The stats on growing this plant is: 6-10 days to seedling and 6 weeks total to harvest. Can grow all year-long. 

Grape Tomatoes: About 70-90 days or a little over 2-3 months to harvest. 

Feta: Unless you have a goat or sheep in your yard...

Olive oil: Again, unless you have olive trees in your yard...