Sesame Pistachio Quinoa Salad

I have to admit, the photo below just slays my heart.

How on earth did we get so blessed to have such a crazy adorable baby?  I know the video from Friday was pretty awesome, but if y’all had heard the symphony of giggles and sweet baby coos – well, I’m pretty sure your hearts would be big ol’ puddles on the floor like mine.

We are now entering a picky eater phase that is NOT my favorite thing in the world.  There are so many times that I’ve watched as beautiful food gets thrown on the floor, and while the dogs are big fans of this new lackluster eating, it’s just not my favorite. That being said, I absolutely cannot wait for my little man to become mommy’s little kitchen helper.  I’m a firm believer that involving kids in the food that they eat increases their confidence in trying new things (at least that’s what I’m banking on!), so maybe one day my guy will fall in love with delicious and healthy salads like this one.

Or who knows?  Maybe then he’ll create something even yummier, more nutritious, and he’ll know how to nourish our bodies, our tastebuds and our souls!

SESAME PISTACHIO QUINOA SALAD

For the salad:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 3 cups fresh chopped baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup shelled roasted (no salt!) pistachios

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

This is super easy – once all the ingredients for the salad are prepped, toss it all in a bowl and toss to combine. For the dressing, whisk everything together until smooth and emulsified. Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss everything together to combine. I would suggest putting it in the fridge for about an hour, although it’s delicious served at room temperature immediately!