Roasted veggie quinoa salad, with bacon wrapped fillet mignon and green beans.

We were going to bbq some bacon wrapped, pre marinated in peppercorn marinade, fillet mignons bought from the market last weekend. The only thing to think about was what to go with it. We were cooking quinoa to make that chocolate quinoa cake so decided on a quinoa salad with the left over quinoa, perfect! And some local green beans bought at the market too. 

I like colourful. I halved some beautiful cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped/halved/quartered some shallots and cut a yellow and green zucchini into 4 strips then into chunks. See colourful! I tossed them in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and spread them out on a baking tray so that they would cook fast. Into a hot oven they go. On the tray I also had a head of garlic with the top chopped off and some olive oil drizzled over it, I wanted some roasted garlic for the dressing. You want to roast the veggies till the onions and zucchini are soft, tossing them several times so that they caramelise on all sides and cook evenly.

Into the salad bowl goes the left over quinoa, cold, though you could use hot just as easily. I would say there was about 1 1/2 - 2 cups. Top this with the roasted veggies (pint of cherry tomatoes, 2 zucchini, 5 or 6 shallots). Make a dressing out of a couple scoops of mayo, or yoghurt, or whatever alternative you want to use, juice of half a lime, salt and pepper and the roasted garlic which you need to mash into it nicely. I used the whole small head of garlic, use however much you like to your taste. Mix. You don't need a huge amount of dressing because the veggies have balsamic and olive oil on them and the tomatoes will ooze some of their juices into the salad so you will be getting lots of moisture from them already and tonnes of flavour. 

We ate it with a medium rare steak and fresh Ontario green beans, you can't go wrong with that! The salad will keep in the fridge and is a great snack or lunch or side to other meals. I would always make more than you will need so you have some left over to keep in the fridge! Extend the joy!