Avocado-Feta Quinoa

The first time I tasted quinoa, I was less than impressed. MUCH less than impressed. I hated it. But I've read and read of the health benefits-- it's high in fiber & protein, is a complex carbohydrate and is full of heart-healthy fats--so I was determined to find a quinoa recipe I liked.
Part of the problem was that I couldn't find just plain quinoa at the store. I only found boxes that were pre-mixed with seasonings, and I didn't like the seasonings. I finally found a HUGE bag of plain quinoa at Target, and so I decided to try this recipe that a friend sent me...
It's a winner! I loved it! It's so full of flavor from the onions, lemon juice, avocado, & feta, and it's very filling & satisfying.

Since this is the first recipe I'm posting on my blog, I should mention that I rarely follow recipes. When it comes to something like this, I normally cook by taste, and just throw in however much tastes good to me.
This particular recipe is perfect for just 'throwing in' any amount you'd like to suit your taste--it's very versatile. I'm posting the amounts I used as a guideline.

You'll need:

Plain quinoa (2 servings, so about 1 cup dry)

Lemon Juice

Olive Oil

Feta Cheese

1 medium tomato

1 medium onion

1 avocado

Handful of spinach

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. For me, it was 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups water. I brought it to a boil & then let it simmer 15 minutes until all the liquid was soaked up.

 2. Chop up all your veggies while it's cooking. 

I used all the tomato, 1/2 the onion, and about 1/4 cup of spinach.

3. When the quinoa is done, toss in the veggies (except the avocado) and stir.

 4. Add olive oil & lemon juice. (lime juice would be just as tasty in my opinion)

You'll use about 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil. The lemon juice is really to your tasting--I like lemon juice a lot, so I used maybe 2-3 Tbsp. 

I added some sea salt to taste as well, about 1 tsp. 

5. Once everything is mixed in, plate it up and then add the diced avocado & feta on top, as much as you'd like. The great thing about this recipe is that you can leave out anything you don't like--my husband likes avocado, but only when it's guacamole, (WEIRDO) and he hates feta, so I left both off of his.

ENJOY! All these flavors go so well together--this is definitely a side we'll be enjoying again!

We had this with Honey Mustard Chicken, which was a hit as well! One of my favorite chicken recipes by far.

Avocado-Feta Quinoa

INGREDIENTS:

Plain quinoa (2 servings, so about 1 cup dry)

2-3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 cup Feta Cheese

1 medium tomato

1 small/medium onion (more or less to taste)

1 medium avocado

1/4 cup spinach

Sea Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. 

2. Chop up your veggies while the quinoa is cooking. 

3. Once the quinoa is done, stir in onion, tomato, & spinach.

4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, & sea salt to taste. Mix.

5. Once everything is mixed in, plate it up and then add the diced avocado & feta on top.