Get Her to the Greek Quinoa Salad

What can I say?  Like so many of you out there I've fallen in love with Quinoa.  It's cheap, easy to prepare and digest, and oh so good for you.  Did you know that Quinoa is a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids?  In some circles it is known as "the gold of the Incas."  Legend says that it was fed to their warriors to increase their stamina and sharpen their reasoning.

One of my favorite reasons to get familiar with this grain is that there is one simple way to cook it, but so many different ways to flavor it.  When cooking Quinoa just keep in mind the 2:1 ratio, water to grain.  So, if you want to cook 1 cup Quinoa, simply add 2 cups water, bring to boil and turn off.  Let sit for 20 or so minutes (enough time to do your other prep like chopping herbs, veggies, nuts etc. . .)

We've had some sticky days here in Colorado (ok you DC people are snickering) so it felt like a good time to fix this salad for a light supper.

Here's How:

Start with  1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked Quinoa
Add as many of the following as you like:

Crumbled Feta Cheese
Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Kalamata Olives, chopped
Red Pepper, chopped (ok you get it, I'll refrain from adding chopped from here on out)
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Cucumber
Toasted Nuts, like Pine Nuts, Walnuts, etc. . .
Fresh Herbs like Parsley or Mint or combination thereof
2 Teaspoons of Greek Seasoning (recipe follows) or more to taste

Greek Blend Seasoning: (makes ~ 1/2 cup)

1 T Basil
1 T Thyme
1 T + 1 t Garlic Powder
1 t Mustard Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste.

I found my salad to be plenty wet, but if you needed to moisten yours, you could add a squeeze of Lemon and a drizzle of Olive Oil.  This salad can stand on its own, or you may choose to serve on a bed of Baby Spinach.

I hope you all enjoy a fun, restful and tasty weekend!