Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

What I am not going to say again, is that I am sorry for not posting in such a long time. I'm not going to apologize for the craziness that has been my life for the last 2 months, while working full time, and taking a statistics class 4 nights a week. I will however share this delicious salad that I had for dinner the other night. What I will apologize for is the lack a variety in these last 3 posts. Quinoa, then asparagus, then quinoa + asparagus. They're just too delicious, and I have been on a mission the last two weeks to spend as little $$ as possible on groceries, and use up what we have in the pantry and freezer. The exception is fresh produce, which I could never go a week without. Here's the result:

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

For the salad:
3/4 c. quinoa
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 bunch of asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces (about 1 1/2 c.), steamed
1 medium vine tomato, seeded and diced (about 1/2 c.)

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Using a sieve, rinse quinoa under cold running water.
2. Bring quinoa and 1 1/2c. water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until tender and all of the liquid is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Pour cooked quinoa out onto a large plate to cool (about 10 minutes).
5. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, asparagus, and tomato. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture, and stir to combine.
6. Serve topped with parmesan or feta cheese (optional).

Makes 2-3 entree size portions or 4-6 for a side dish.

Note: If you would like a hot salad, skip the cooling step. Alternatively, if your preference is for a cold salad refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving. My preparation was served room temperature.
P.S. It's even better the next day! Just put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to take the chill off.