Quinoa salad

Ever heard of quinoa?...pronounced ("keen-wah"). That's a new staple in our pantry and we have it a few times a week as a substitute for rice or pasta with our meals. 

What is it and why cook it?  It's technically a seed/grain...sort of like rice but not really, if that makes any sense?  It sort of has a nutty flavor and is loaded with protein, so a much healthier option than all the carbs in rice or pasta.

This is what it looks like pre-cooked.  For us I usually make 1/2 cup with 1 cup of water.  It makes plenty once I add the extras, with leftovers for the next day.

after about 15 minutes it looks something like this...

what do you do with it...
I usually add some garlic, onion, spinach

sautee it all in olive oil (sometimes I sautee the spinach and sometimes not)...

mix it all together with some raw spinach and feta cheese...

and you have yourself a great side to any dish that is also yummy the next day.

other things I add to my quinoa:
any veggies I have either sauteed or roasted...squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes
sweet corn (cut off the cob)
cherry tomatoes
feta
onion
garlic
spinach
black beans
asparagus

I do lots of variations and basically just throw anything in there I have cooked up.  There are lots of recipes online on how to use quinoa.  I've also made quinoa bites before...the options are endless.