Greek Quinoa Salad

Nowadays most people are pretty familiar with quinoa.  But what you might not know is what it is, where it came from and why it is considered a “super grain”  To give a very brief background quinoa comes from the high plains regions in Andes and has been used by indigenous cultures for literally thousands of years.  It is full of protein and nutrients which makes it very distinctive compared to other less nutritious grains like rice and wheat.  This is also why it remains such an important part of the local culture’s diet even today.

Quinoa is so versatile and incredibly easy to prepare.  We decided to dress ours up with a Greek spin using a light olive oil, garlic and lemon marinade.  Toss in cherry tomatoes, Greek olives, red onions, cucumber and feta.  The great thing about quinoa is not only is it easy and fast to make – it also makes great leftovers.  It can be served as a main or as a side salad depending on your preferences.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

1 box of quinoa

cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cucumber, finely diced

greek olives, diced

crumbled feta

1/4 red onion finely diced

1 Tbsp cilantro, finely diced

Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves

Method:

Follow directions on package to cook quinoa.  Don't forget to wash and drain quinoa first - VERY important!  Once cooked put quinoa in a large bowl and let cool.  Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cilantro in bowl.  Meanwhile combine garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a food processor or blender.  Slowly add olive oil until well mixed.   Toss vegetables, feta in with quinoa and mix with sauce.  Serve cold or at room temp.