Quinoa and Feta Salad

I LOVE this salad! It makes a tasty lunch or a nice cold side dish. Quinoa is sometimes hard to find but the taste is worth it!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa I cook mine in a rice cooker 1 cup quinoa/2 cups water for 45 min)
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 handful of dried cranberries
1 lime, juiced (I use 3)
Salt and pepper
I generally use more of everything because I like the crunch of the veggies.

Directions:

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the grains are tender. Drain, rinse and drain again thoroughly. Spread quinoa on a baking tray to dry. (This is labor intensive so again, use a rice cooker!)

In a dry, heavy frying pan, toast the cashews over moderate to low heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown. Cool, then chop roughly.

In a large bowl, combine dried quinoa, nuts, herbs, celery, grapes and feta. Squeeze lime juice over all, add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste and leave the salad to stand for at least 1 hour before serving.