Take Two Tuesday: Lemonade's Quinoa

I'm excited to post my first "Take Two Tuesday" and showcase my very first post: Lemonade's Quinoa Salad...with a lil' twist. As I look back at my past posts, it has dawned on me that where I am today (post-wise) is very different than a year ago (and for the better!). It's wild to see my progression between that period of time and can't wait to see what another year of blogging knowledge brings me!

This recipe has been getting a lot of buzz recently and thought it made sense to revamp it a little. I made lil' twists here and there and believe it's just as delicious (or maybe even a little more) than my first post! I hope you all get a chance to give it a try and leave feedback on how you like it!

Take Two Tuesday: Lemonade's Quinoa
Cook Time: 15 Minutes / Prep Time: 10 Minutes / Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
Salad

• 1 Cup Rainbow Quinoa
• 2 Cups Water
• Half Pint of Grape Tomatoes, Halved 
• 1/4 Red Onion, Diced Small
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Cup Fat-Free Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Pine Nuts

Dressing

• Zest of 1/2 Lemon
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil
• 1 Small Shallot, Minced (1/2 Medium Shallot)
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Pepper

Directions:

Dressing

Zest and juice the lemon into a mason jar.

Add in the grapeseed oil, minced shallot, salt and pepper. Cover and shake and put in the fridge until needed.

Salad

Rinse the quinoa and place in a pot. Pour water over quinoa and heat of high. Once boiling, cover and lower heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa is light and fluffy and all of the water is absorbed. Place in bowl and let cool completely (I usually place it in the freezer to cool down faster).

Cut the tomatoes and onions. Cut up the avocado and dice. Drizzle a little bit of lemon juice over the avocado and season with salt and pepper.

Toast the pine nuts on a dry pan over medium heat for about 4 minutes, shaking often.

Once the quinoa has cooled, place all of the ingredients into the bowl.

Take the dressing out of the fridge and pour half into the salad. Keep on pouring a little at a time until it is well dressed. 

Carefully stir altogether with a spoon and serve!