Ode to Quinoa

We've been on a quinoa kick. 

The not-quite-a-grain, but really a seed, is an awesome protein and fiber-rich food.  I've been using it in place of rice. It's native to the Andes, and starting to gain in popularity here.  So excited to find a 4 pound bag at Costco yesterday.

The most important thing to remember in preparing quinoa is to rinse it first.  There's a powdery residue that can be quite bitter if not removed before cooking.  Just make sure to use a very fine strainer so you don't lose the quinoa down the drain. 

Some eat quinoa as they would oatmeal -- with honey and berries.  

Most recently, I toasted the quinoa before preparing it, and it opened the flavor into a deep, rich nutty taste.  

Looking forward to making a chicken teriyaki stir fry this weekend, using toasted quinoa in place of rice. 

I would love to know if anyone has recipes that they use with quinoa.  :)  In exchange, here's a few that I've used and loved!  :)

• How to toast quinoa
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Black beans and quinoa salad (pictured below)
• Garlic Quinoa 

Recipes that I'm looking forward to trying:

• Chicken Pine Nut Salad w/lemon garlic vinaigrette
• Scallops with Citrus & Quinoa
• Cranberry Walnut Quinoa Salad