Greek Quinoa Salad

If you haven't tried quinoa yet, you should. I'm definitely a fan of this trend. At first, it was a weird texture for me to get used to, but by finding recipes with flavors I like it was easy to enjoy. Here are a couple facts for you - quinoa is an ancient grain that cooks quickly and is gluten free with an added bonus of fiber and iron. Quinoa is also a "complete protein" meaning that it has all nine essential amino acids which generally only applies to meat sources. Nice, right! To cook quinoa, simply add twice the amount of water as quinoa (be careful, it doubles when it cooks) bring it to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer until all the water is absorbed. 

I love all kinds of Greek pasta salads so I tried it with quinoa and it totally works. Make this for lunch or as a side dish for dinner.

Ingredients

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup quinoa, cooked

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 English cucumber, diced

1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, set aside. 
2. Transfer cooked quinoa to a bowl after it has cooled. 
3. Add the tomatoes, olives, red onions, cucumbers, and dressing. Stir to coat. 
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle feta cheese on top.