Pantry Raid: Quinoa and Lentil Salad

I have heard a lot of talk lately about Quinoa, but never really knew how to make it. So this weekend while at Whole Foods I decided to pick some up and do a test run. Glad I did, because it came out delicious.

This made a really large bowl for a party I was attending. It's easy to cut the recipe in half.

2 1/2 cups of Quinoa
1 cup green lentils
Fresh bunch of basil - chopped
1 container of crumbled feta cheese
1 large red onion - diced
2 containers of cherry or grape tomatoes - cut into 4's
1 bottle of Tessemae's All Natural Lemon Pepper Dressing - can be found at whole foods.

2 1/2 cups of Quinoa placed in 5 cups of water, bring to a boil, place lid on pot and cook on low for 15 minutes. Start the lentils at the same time. Place them in a pot cover with water and once it boils cook covered on low for 15 minutes.

Once the Quinoa and lentils are cooked, place in a large bowl and refrigerate to cool them down.
While they are cooling start prepping the other ingredients.

Once the lentils and Quinoa are cool, mix in the dressing until coated. Then add the basil, tomatoes, onion and cheese. Season to taste with salt if necessary (I didn't add any).

Refrigerate and then enjoy!

Pairs nicely with grilled chicken, fish or steak.

I Am In Love With Late July

I love chips, the saltier the better. One might even call me a bit of a chip-a-holic. If I need to drop some weight I have to go through the painstaking process of eating all the chips out of my pantry (not in a million years would I think about throwing them out or giving them away) and then not purchasing anymore, which is not easy.

I am blaming Whole foods on my new found love and addiction to Late July Mild Green Mojo Flavored Chips. They just had to stack them all nice and neat in the main isle as I walked toward the register. Hmm, I thought, these look interesting, ooohhhh they are gluten free, I better test them out for my friend Brook, I thought to myself, because I want to help Brook find new gluten free products. So what happened? I purchased 1 bag, ate the entire thing, texted a picture of the bag to Brook for reference and then went back to purchase 5 more (in my defense they were on special).

Not only are the extremely tasty on their own but add some guacamole to the mix and you have your own little party going on. Oh yeah!

If you don't have a Whole Foods in your area you can also buy them online direct from Late July (they sell by the case, SWEET!).

Finally!

Much anticipated for over a year now, Whole Foods Market opened up a store in North Raleigh.

Walking in I feel like a kid in a candy store. How can you not love Whole Foods?

This store will turn cooking into a new experience, it boasts new offerings of;
1. First Ever Guacamole & Salsa Bar - I tested this out yesterday and was quite pleased.
2. Cooking Classes.
3. On site Dietitian.
4. They have replaced bags with jars in the bulk section.
5. Aging and Smoked section in the meat department.
6. Entire section dedicated to cheese, a personal favorite.
7. Offer Growlers of Kombucha Tea from a local supplier

North Raleigh Whole Foods Market - 3 days prior to grand opening