{Quinoa with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta}

I recently just bought my first bag of quinoa (Keen-Wa) and have tried a few different recipes, this one has been my favorite so far. The flavor combinations go perfectly. For those of you who have not tried quinoa, it is packed with nutrients like protein and fiber. It’s cooked basically the same way as rice but it is similar looking to couscous with a slightly nutty flavor. There are so many different ways to eat this. Good stuff!

1 cup quinoa

1 3/4 cups chicken broth or water

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, about 1 minutes.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, feta and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.