Quinoa Summer Salad with Rasperry Vinaigrette

What is the best part of eating a salad for you? For me it is the dressing. I don't like the salad if there isn't enough dressing to coat everything. I believe that is what gives the flavor to the salad and makes it interesting. Being 'Indian' and a lover of spicy food, I have used generous amounts of spices. Also, I had made enough dressing for probably one and a half batch of the salad ingredients, but used up the whole amount and that made the salad a little wet. But still very tasty. If you don't like too much dressing, use the dressing sparingly.

Ingredients:

• Quinoa - 1/2 cup cooked in 1 cup of water. I used a pressure cooker
• Tomato - 1 big or 2 medium chopped into chunks
• Scallions - 3 both white and green parts chopped
• Avocado - 1 ripe but firm cut into chunks
• Lime - 1 divided use
• Red wine vinegar - About 2 - 3 TBSP 
• Olive Oil - 4 TBSP (You could use less if you want to cut down the fat)
• Salt - to taste
• Black cracked pepper - to taste (I used about 1 tsp)
• Cayanne pepper - to taste (I used about 1 tsp)
• Chat Masala - 1 tsp (optional)
• Cilantro - chopped about 1/4 cup
• Raspberry preserve - 1/4 cup (see note)

Method:
In a large bowl, take the quinoa and let it cool. When cold, add chopped tomato, scallions, cilantro. Add avocado chunks and squeeze half of the lime on the avocados. Mix gently. Add some salt and prepare the vinaigrette.

In a bowl, mix 4 TBSP of olive oil, raspberry preserve, salt, pepper, cayanne pepper, chat masala. Measure the remaining half of the lime's juice. Add enough red vine vinegar to make it a total of 4 TBSP. Pour that to the vinaigrette mixture and whisk well. Pour this onto the salad and mix gently. You might have to add some salt to get the necessary taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Note:
You can make the vinaigrette without using the preserve. Mash about 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries. You'll have to use sugar or honey or some kind of sweetener with it. Use it as per your taste.
You can add cucumbers to this salad too. Grilled zucchini makes a good addition too.
If you are a garlic lover, crush one or two pods of garlic and add it to the vinaigrette.

Happy Cooking!!