Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds & an Easter Wreath

I've been looking for some more tasty Quinoa recipes for awhile now. The nutrients found in this stuff are mind blowing! I tried this one last night. Thank you Martha Stewart's wholeliving.com; You did not disappoint.

Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds:

1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup (3 ounces) quinoa 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 yellow bell pepper, ribs and seeds discarded, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish (optional) 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick 1 large celery stalk, diced 1 lime, halved

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds until crisp, lightly browned, and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add yellow pepper, garlic, scallions, and red-pepper flakes; cook until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in quinoa, thyme, 1 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 7 minutes. Stir in zucchini, cover, and cook until quinoa is tender but not mushy, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from heat.

4. Stir in celery, almonds, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil, season with salt, and fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature before packing into two containers and refrigerating. When ready to eat, squeeze lime over salad, if desired. Serve with additional lime wedge and thyme, if desired.

And our simple Easter project for the boy's doors. Yes, I like wreaths.