Delish.

I look forward to the day that I can visit Kripalu, a yoga & health center in Western Massachusetts. They offer so many great classes, retreats, and teacher trainings, plus the center is settled on a beautiful landscape in an area I've always wanted to travel to.

Kripalu's website also offers great recipes. Some recipes use seasonal produce, but all are healthy and use fresh, light, and nutritious ingredients. Perfect for the yoga lifestyle. I found this one last night and can't wait to make it this weekend. It's a perfect balance of carbs (quinoa is a grain [pictured right], but is also very high in protein), healthy fat (from the avocado and pumpkin seeds), and protein (from the pumkin seeds and quinoa). Also, did you know that a red bell pepper has more Vitamin C than an orange? True story.

Quinoa Avocado Salad
by Chef Deb Howard (Kripalu)

Serves four.
Prep time: 25 minutes, plus cooling time.

1 cup quinoa
1¾ cup water
½ cup red pepper, diced
2 scallions
¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 fresh ripe avocado
Optional add-ins: organic raw cheddar cheese, cooked black beans, roasted asparagus

Rinse quinoa and drain. Place in a saucepan and cover with measured water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let remain covered for another 10 minutes until all water is absorbed. Remove and fluff with fork onto a tray to cool. When quinoa is cool, add peppers, scallions, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Combine olive oil, water, lime juice, and salt. Toss with quinoa. Garnish with fresh, sliced avocado and any of the other add-ins.