Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Toasted Almonds

I don't eat asparagus in the winter, and the same goes for tomatoes.

I like seasonal, local produce so I am forced to wait 9 months for tomatoes to be back in season.

I have been known to buy hot house cherry tomatoes from Mexico in a pinch, which are usually very sweet.....but for my favorite quinoa salad, I roasted plum tomatoes to get me thru the winter.

I truly love this quinoa salad, and never get tired of it.

I like to use slivered blanched almonds, which are pretty bland, but once toasted, they have a wonderful smell and flavor.

Quinoa Salad w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Toasted Almonds:

1 cup of cooked quinoa
3 roasted tomatoes, chopped (recipe here)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup of pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
baby arugula
feta cheese (optional)

Dressing:

3 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
sea salt & pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Let the cooked quinoa cool before adding ingredients.
Then mix everything together (except arugula and feta).

Plate over arugula and toss w/ the dressing.
Sprinkle feta on top if using.

So delicious.