Quinoa & Cucumber Salad

Our second quinoa recipe! I based this recipe on a really delicious creation my mom used to make with tabouli - it has basically all the same ingredients she used, with the exception of the quinoa and I think the onions. It is nice and light - and especially good served over some toasted tortilla slices. For those, we just cut a large tortilla into four pieces and baked them at 350F for about 5 minutes, or until golden. You can tell quinoa is done when it becomes translucent and you can see little tails breaking apart from the grain. I read somewhere that it's important to rinse them well or it can alter the taste of your dish. To cool it more quickly, I spread it out on a large plastic plate and stuck it in the fridge while I was making the rest of the recipe. This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups rotisserie chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces
  
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Cook according to directions on box (until water is absorbed, typically 10-15 minutes).
2. Remove from heat and drain well. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk lime juice, pepper, salt, and olive oil together in a small bowl.
4. Combine chicken, cucumber, tomato, onions, feta, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa and toss to mix. Add lime juice mixture and toss to coat.