Day 1 - White Bean Mediterranean Salad

Blueberries, Watermelon, Cold Seasoned Quinoa, White Bean Mediterranean Salad

I like to think of the summer as produce season.  Everything is so ripe and delicious...and on sale!  As such, lunch for today included watermelon, tiny early blueberries from a friend's yard, cold seasoned white quinoa, and a Mediterranean white bean salad.  It was, all things considered, pretty good.  The quinoa and beans gave it a nice punch of protein, and the fruit sweetened out an otherwise fairly salty and savory meal.  I'm more than happy eating a vegetarian meal, but if you feel incomplete without meat then a little grilled chicken over the quinoa would be lovely!

White Bean Mediterranean Salad

1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 small avocado, chopped (sub with cucumber for an even healthier salad)
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled low fat feta cheese
2 Tablespoons dried dill
Olive oil and red wine vinegar, to taste

Mix together all ingredients, saving oil and vinegar.  You may add salt and pepper at this point if you like, but I find that the canned beans and feta add more than enough salt for my taste.  Add in the oil and vinegar slowly, stirring gently.  If you're insecure about the amounts to add, I'd start with 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting between each tablespoon until it's how you love it.  Remember that the vinegar flavor will intensify somewhat if you leave it in the fridge for a few days.  I'd say I ended up with about 1 T oil and 3 T vinegar, but  my love for vinegar is weird and beyond most people's desirability...you may not want to follow my example. :)  Enjoy!