Garlicy, Lemony Quinoa Tabouli with a Side of Chicken

I love quinoa. I mean, I love it. Everything, absolutely everything about it. The texture (and I'm a really picky texture person, J will tell you), the taste, the way it mixes so perfectly with so many other things... Oh I love quinoa.

I spent a while looking through a bunch of different tabouli recipes and came up with a fun little recipe for Quinoa Tabouli (that makes lots of leftovers so I can have some tomorrow for lunch too!).

Ingredients: 

• 1 box quinoa 
• Water, to boil the quinoa
• 1 cucumber
• 1 box grape tomatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped 
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 grated carrots 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice from 2 lemons 
• Sea salt 
• 1 bunch green onions, diced 

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa as according to the package that it comes in. 
2. While the quinoa cooks, dice the veggies (cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, carrots, and green onions) and combine in a bowl. 
3. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it and put in a large bowl. 
4. Add the veggies on top of the quinoa. 
5. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and lemon juice. 
6. Stir to ensure even spread of juices in the quinoa-veggie mix. 
7. Sprinkle with salt, stirring. 
8. Taste test the tabouli and see what you think... Add what's needed. 
9. Chill in the fridge for two or three hours. 
10. Enjoy! 

To compliment the tabouli I was planning on making homemade Tikka Masala, but didn't read my recipe early enough in the day... So I had to wing it. I grilled up a few chicken breasts in olive oil, salt, and pepper with a bit of lemon juice.

A side of naan (which you can find readily made at the grocery store near you - or Target where I got it!)  is the perfect compliment and so delicious with the tabouli on top of it! 

Needless to say, I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!