Avocado Quinoa Salad

So remember how we had a dog at our house for a while?  We loved dog-sitting Angus and he was so fun with the kids.  But he did end up going home with his owners.  I think it was a great experience to learn what it's like to have a dog without the commitment.  

In case you were wondering, this is what I learned from having a dog:
1. Indoor pets have hair and it gets on things, you have to get over that.
2. When you have an almost 2-year-old in the house, adding a dog is like having 2 puppies.  I think maybe a dog when my kids are a little older would be better.
3. There are advantages to getting an older dog compared to a puppy.  They are trained to go to the bathroom outside, this dog was crate trained, and there was no chewing on furniture.

It was a lot of fun and the kids loved having him around.  

So about this salad; it was so good.  I think the key is to cook the quinoa in broth; it makes it so much tastier!  The other good part of this recipe is the celery.  I'm not one to go on about celery.  But it adds the perfect crunch.

Avocado Quinoa Salad

from Women's Day Eating Light magazine

1 1/2 cups quinoa

2 cups broth

1 large avocado

2 - 3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced in quarters

1 stalk celery, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa in a medium saucepan as package directs using broth instead of water.  Let cool.  Meanwhile, halve avocados, remove pit, peel and cut into chunks. Place in a large bowl. Add lemon juice; toss. Add cooked quinoa and remaining ingredients; toss gently to mix. Chill until ready to serve.