Peanut Coconut Quinoa Salad with Baby Spinach and Cornbread Croutons and Helping Your Community (and mine) During the Holidays…

Hi everyone. I made this tasty treat of a dish for a friend’s party yesterday and it was a huge hit. Healthy food actually can taste good! There are some more obscure ingredients listed but I hope you won’t be deterred and will see it as a challenge-just ask at the supermarket.

Also, please see below (below the recipe) how easy it can be to help others in need during the holidays. Also, please remember to support your friends who have businesses during the holidays….

Peanut Coconut Quinoa Salad with Baby Spinach and Cornbread Croutons:

2.5 cups dry quinoa , cooked-here’s how if you don’t know: http://www.cookingquinoa.net/how-to-cook-quinoa-perfectly/
1/3 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, more to taste
2 TBS coconut oil
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS honey
3/4 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup golden raisins
2 cups washed baby spinach
optional: 2 cups leftover cornbread muffins cut into 1″ pieces and toasted until crunchy at 400 degrees (covered in tin foil)

For Dressing:
In a medium sized bowl, beat the peanut oil, vinegar, coconut oil, honey, sugar, salt and pepper

In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa and mix in the dressing. Add the raisins, chopped nuts, washed and dried spinach. mix together to combine and very gently, add in the cornbread croutons if you are using.

Volunteering and Donating:

Please volunteer making dessert for the homeless for Christmas Dinner in Montclair: contact Melina at boxedorganics@verizon.net

Also, a local family near Montclair was robbed of EVERYTHING, including all their children’s clothes. If you have and clothes or toys for the following aged kids, please email Melaura at mprestondmd@gmail.com

girl 5 years old,
boys, 4,7,14 years old

For last minute gifts for friends and business colleagues:

Local and National gifts: Delicious Miss Nicky’s toffee and cookies: http://www.missnickys.com/toffee.html

In and around Montclair: Give your friends a gift certificate for tailoring, dress making, curtain making and/or anything sewing related like classes for your kids who should learn how to sew on a button, right? Christine Sapienza at: http://www.sapienzacouture.com