Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Despite my love for and dedication to cooking, my dedication to packing lunch as many days a week as possible (also known as my dedication to the budget) emptied me of easy-to-pack lunch options very quickly. That is, until I started searching for ways to prepare quinoa and found this awesome...I repeat awesome...recipe at allrecipes.com for a southwestern take on quinoa. After a few additions to jazz it up just a little, I made it two weeks in a row, which speaks to how much I liked it, since I was looking for variety to begin with!


Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15oz) can yellow corn, drained (you can also use grilled corn now that it's in season!)
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chiles (I use Ancho or Chipotle)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced


Directions
1. Prepare the quinoa according to package directions, and set aside in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool.
*Note: I use chicken broth in place of water to add a little extra flavor.
2. Dice the vegetables and drain the canned items.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, red onion, corn, beans and tomato.
4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, chile, garlic, salt and pepper.
5. When the quinoa is cooled, mix it into the vegetables and top with the oil/vinegar mixture.
6. Toss in the cilantro and feta cheese.
7. Chill at least 30 minutes or overnight so the flavors can blend, and eat cold or at room temperature.