In the Kitchen: Summer Quinoa Salad

Now that the weather is consistently much warmer, it's time to start preparing cold summer salads. I absolutely love summer salads because so many veggies are available and I get to be creative with all the new stuff in my garden.

One of my favorite salads of all is Quinoa Salad. Quinoa (Kee-no-uh) originated in South America back around some odd 6,000 years ago. The Incas actually believed the crops to be sacred, calling them "chisaya mama" or for those of us that don't speak Incan, "Mother of all Grains". They treated it so much like a diety, that when the Spanish Conquistadors showed up they actually forbid the indigenous people to grow quinoa and switch their crops to corn instead. Talk about being a little xenophobic. I mean, who is afraid of a type of grain? Really? Anyways, quinoa is chuck full of protein (12-18%) and unlike wheat or rice it contains a balanced amount of amino acids.

This is a great side with grilled meats but sometimes I like it just on it's own.

Here's the recipe!


What you'll need:
1 Cup quinoa (Good Earth has the best price in their bulk section, remember to buy local!)
1 1/2 Cups water
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 herb of your choice (I like to use basil or cilantro)
Any assortment of fresh or frozen veggies of your choice ( Usually throw in a cup of corn, red onion, peas, carrotts and tomatoes)

The Plan:
Throw your quinoa and water into a covered pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the water starts boiling, turn your heat to low for 20 minutes. Don't take the lid off until its done (I always have a hard time with this step, but it's worth it). Your quinoa will end up the consistency of couscous.

Put your quinoa in a plastic bowl and put it in the fridge until it cools (or freezer for a quick chill). Once it has cooled down, add the veggies, herbs, seasonings, salt, and pepper. Stir. Done.


Enjoy!