Warrior Salad and Lots of Love

Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy 6 Month Birthday to my Seashell! It is so hard to wrap my brain around the fact that she is half a year old today.  I remember walking the hallways of our house while counting the minutes between the contractions like it was yesterday! Six months later, here we are.  Our Seashell fills our days with moments of appreciation and pure joy.  She views the world through deep Atlantic-blue spheres, soaking in everything she sees and learning by the second.  She is growing into such a magical, whimsical little girl.  Valentine's Day, to us, is just another day to be thankful for a love that sometimes feels like it is bursting at the seams because of sweet Seashell.  We are blessed.

Now ... the food!  This Warrior Salad was created by Daphne Oz.  I admire her for inventing such a protein-packed, tangy, sweet, filling lunch salad.  The maple syrup-mustard combination is wildly good.  I made it a few weeks ago, and I can honestly say that it gave me the boost I needed for the entire afternoon.  

You can change up the ingredients, too.  If do not have quinoa, substitute cous cous or even brown rice (less protein but still delicious).  If you do not have cranberries, throw in some yellow raisins.  We did not have the chickpeas in the cupboard, so I sliced up a few pieces of hearts of palm. Artichokes or white beans would also be a yummy substitute or addition.

Enjoy, and happy "LOVE" day!

Warrior Salad
Source:  Daphne Oz, The Chew
http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Daphne-Oz-Warrior-Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup scallions (thinly sliced)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

The Process:
For the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and mustard.  Set aside.  Combine all of the remaining ingredients together, and add in the dressing.  Stir to combine.  Adjust S & P levels to taste.