Strawberry Quinoa Salad

This salad is PERFECT for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  Serve warm, room temperature, or cold it is great any old time.  I've added it to a lunch alongside my quinoa wrap and citrus kale salad.  Incredibly easy to make, incredibly good for you, and colorful to look at!

Ingredients:

Makes 2 side servings or 1 entrée serving

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 half an apple, chopped (if organic, chop unpeeled)
4 strawberries, chopped (reserve one for garnish)
2 tbsp raw cashews, chopped
2 basil leaves, chiffonade
Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon approx. 2 tbsp
1 tsp honey (some people consider honey to be nonvegan, it is a personal choice, I eat local honey)
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch black pepper


To cook quinoa:  add 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa to pot with 1 cup filtered water.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and let cook 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed.
To chiffonade basil:

In a small bowl, add lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and pepper.  Whisk together.  Add apples and coat them to prevent browning.  Add quinoa (cooled for salad or warm for breakfast) and toss.  Add remaining ingredients and toss.  I always add a little extra pinch of cinnamon and pepper here for added flavor but it's up to you.  Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavor develop.Garnish with more basil on top and a fresh sliced whole strawberry.  Then enjoy.  I've packed mine into a lunch:

✌ YUM

* Don't feel bound to the recipe.  It is incredibly flexible and you can use your favorite herbs or nuts. Try Mint instead of Basil or  Almonds instead of Cashews.  You could also use sunflower seeds for a nut free option.