Dear T,
For sometime I've been eyeing a bag of odd looking grain at Costco. I had had an pleasing encounter with the grain at a summer party and I was wondering if I could figure out how to concoct a similar dish at home. Last week I decided to give it a go. So after some price shopping and a trip to Winco, I had my kinnowah.....kinwah....keennowah.
I brought it home and stared at it for awhile. If I wasn't on a good first name basis with it, how could I cook with it? Kinenowah.....quinnowah.... Not to be deterred by formalities, I proceeded ahead with my experiment. A quick internet search showed me this funky named grain is boiled exactly like rice is. It is also healthier then rice as it is lower in carbs, higher in protein, and high in magnesium and iron. Rice. What a simple, nice name, easy on the tongue.
The salad recipe below is the results of my tinkering. If you serve it chilled it makes a great summer side dish. I'm looking for more ways to incorporate it into our meals and desserts. After all, what other cereal grain comes with it's own dinner conversation starter? "Hey Dad, guess how this is pronounced."
I hope you get a chance to enjoy it too. For the record, I did finally learn how to say it right.
From my kitchen to yours with much love,
~Sonia
______________________________________________________________
Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer until tender (~15-20 min). Do not stir.
*****
Cooked Quinoa from above
1 cup red table grapes
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup feta
1/3 cup diced black olives
2 tbsp olive oil
Mix the above ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or let chill until cool.
Enjoy!
