Quinoa Salad

For the last couple of years I have wanted to try Quinoa, but never had (not really sure why). I had been reading about the nutritional value of Quinoa and thought that it would make a nice addition to our diet. I finally bought a 38 lb (6 gallon) bucket of organic Quinoa in my last grain order.

I have found that Quinoa is a tasty alternative to rice, but since it is far more nutritious, I think I will be experimenting with it more and more.

2 C quinoa
1/2 C toasted pine nuts (just put in the oven at a low temp for about 10 min) and finely chopped
1/4 C minced scallions (could substitute onion, but the green is a visually pleasing choice)
1/4 C craisins, soaked in warm water then drained (could use raisins, dates or currants)
1/4 C apple cider vinegar (a raspberry or other fruit vinegar would also work well)
1/4 C Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Boil 4 cups of water, add Quinoa and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain in a strainer (Quinoa is smaller than rice so it can't have large holes) without rinsing. Put in bowl and let cool slightly. If you are making a double or larger batch, you may wish to spread out on a baking sheet to cool so that it doesn't continue to cook.

Add the rest of the ingredients and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (don't need much - just adjust for your taste).

This can be served as a side dish or under a chicken/fish entrée. It would probably also make a fairly healthy evening snack!