Blend the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Quinoa: bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and then add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is tender, drain and return to the hot saucepan to let the heat evaporate the remaining moisture. Fluff with a fork.

Fried feta: Slice a block of feta into ¼-inch planks. Then slice the planks in half so you have square planks of feta that are about 1 ½ inch x 1 ½ inch. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate and coat each piece of feta in cornstarch, tapping off the excess. If you have time, place the feta in the freezer for 10-30 minutes before frying.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add a swish of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I cannot emphasize this enough, the oil must be HOT before adding the feta. When the oil is hot, add the feta pieces in an even layer and take care not to crowd the pan. The trick here is to get a good, quick sear on the feta before it melts. Fry the feta for 90-120 seconds per side until golden brown, immediately remove to a paper towel-lined plate. (refer to ‘tips for perfectly fried feta’ in the above blog post!)

Salad: in a large salad bowl add the spinach, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, quinoa and fresh herbs. Drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss together. Season everything with pinches of salt and pepper. Top with fried feta, toasted pine nuts, more dressing and more herbs. It’s salad o’clock friends.