Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is exotic.  Quinoa is not widely known, but it is gaining popularity.  Quinoa looks a little strange.  Quinoa is hard to read phonetically (pronounced Keen-Wah).  But, all that being said, Quinoa is delicious, it is supremely versatile, and this side dish is the perfect way to try it.

First off, what is Quinoa?  It is oft referred to as a high protein grain.  Which is a good description, though it is inaccurate.  While quinoa resembles a grain it is actually a seed (most closely related to beets and spinach, but from a different part of the plant than either of those).  Originally from the Andes it is a staple of South American, particularly Peruvian cuisine.  It is considered a "Super Food" because it can be applied like a grain (this recipe is great warm as a pilaf style side dish, or cold as a salad), but since it is a nut it is really high in protein and essential amino acids.  It reminds me most of a couscous size brown rice, which means you can do all sorts of things with it.

There are basically 3 steps:

1. Cook the quinoa
2. Select and prepare any "Add Ins" you desire
3. Mix the add ins to the quinoa

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