Lentil & Quinoa Salad

This is a 2 for 1 day.

Healthy for you lentils, and yummy good for you quinoa.
Friends forever.

This is a nice side dish but was missing something, so I added some lime juice to go along w/ that zest. Why didn't Melissa D'Arabian think of that?

This was best served at room temperature an hour after it was made.

The recipe calls for microwaving the quinoa, which I found kind of odd, but I did it anyway. It actually worked, though make sure you have a cover over the bowl that is microwave safe, or you will have a big mess in the microwave. (also, feel free to cook the quinoa like a normal human, in a saucepan with boiling water for 25 minutes).

Lentil Quinoa Salad (adapted from Melissa D'Arabian)

1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups water, plus 2 cups
1/2 cup lentils
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime, zested and some of the juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, chopped
handful of chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse in cold water. In a large microwave-proof bowl with a cover, add the rinsed quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and microwave on high for 9 minutes. Let it sit for 2 minutes then stir. Quinoa should be tender enough to eat, but with a little "pop" upon biting.

Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse in cold water. In a saucepan, simmer the lentils in 2 cups water until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool.

In a small bowl, whisk the mustard and vinegar together, and drizzle in the oil to make an emulsion. Add the garlic powder, lime zest, and salt, and pepper, to taste.

To assemble the salad: In a medium salad bowl, mix the quinoa, lentils, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Squeeze in some lime juice and taste the seasonings. Top the salad with the dressing, toss to coat and serve.

I served this along side with those yummy Honey Spicy Chicken Thighs (make them, they're easy and good).