Quinoa and Vegetables Salad

Quinoa was a staple of the ancient Incas and means "The mother of the Grain". It's high in iron and has a distinctive flavor and fluffy texture. It makes a tasty choice for Eden salad and pilaf when cooked. (package information)
A few years ago when I saw this grain at gourmet food store, I did not know anything about it. At this time it is widely available at any store and my personal all time favorite ingridient for mixing into diner salads. It is perfect with any vegetables combination, hearty and delicious new grain to explore.

Rinse it under cold water a few times to wash out any saponins (naturally occur) .To cook it- cover it with water like rice proportion and cook until all liquid is absorbed. I cooked all grains in organic chicken stock because I think it add depth of flavor and creates a wonderful base for furthering the dish. When cooking this particular grain I turn off the heat while some of the liquid still remains in the pot. When grains are cooked they are like perfect little shiny pearls. One package makes 3 cooked cups.

Today I mixed it with one chopped red bell pepper (loaded with vitamin C) half bunch of flat leave parsley and half of bunch spring onions. Then I added my new favorite greens-Mache salad (gourmet lamb's lettuce) that has a wonderful sweet texture to contract scallions and great crunch. Mix it all together, add a little of extra virgin olive oil for a shiny finish, sea salt and black pepper. Enjoy as much of it as you like - it is all super foods in one, loaded with unbelievable nutritional value and great taste!