I am the Quinoa Queen.  I am the Quinoa Master.  I am the Quinoa Kuckoo-head.

Yes, my family eats this ancient Incan grain 4-5 times a week.  It is pronounced “keen-wa.”  It’s so fun to say that my almost 8-year-old has crooned out his own tune aptly entitled “Shock tee Keen WAAAAAAAAAAAAA,” EVERY Time I mention quinoa. Does it get on my nerves?  What made you ask that?

Quinoa is a complete protein with a rich and nutty flavor.  It is my staple, and when I make it and feed it to my friends, they ask for more! There is red and white quinoa.  You cook it just like rice. Red is my favorite, but I also like to mix them because of the colors.

My baby loves it.  It is his favorite!  I cook it with my favorite vegan bouillon and add finely chopped spinach and carrots and mashed avocado.  He GRINDS it!

If you’re looking to add more raw foods into your diet, it’s easy to make a raw quinoa salad. Just soak the quinoa over night. Rinse it a few times in the morning, and let it sit in a colander under a towel for 4-6 hours.  It sprouts!  SO GOOD FOR YOU!  Add whatever fresh veggies you have!  I like to create my food with color, so I add red bell pepper and carrots, purple cabbage, fennel, corn, zucchini, broccoli, Anything and Everything I have in my fridge, all finely chopped of course.  I make a simple dressing with olive oil and vinegar, maybe a shallot and some seasonings, and Voila! Yumminess! It is so tasty and it fills you up and it gives you so much energy!  I garnish it with some avocado and fresh parsley or other herbs I have on hand, and serve it on fresh chopped spinach.

Lately I’ve been bringing a Mexican Quinoa salad to parties.  Everyone loves it and it is so healthy! Here’s the recipe:

cook 2 cups of quinoa with  vegan bouillon.

Add: a can of Black beans, rinsed and drained

3-4 ears of raw corn, freshly cut off the cob

a handful of fresh spinach, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

cilantro, chopped, to taste

stir the salad together and  put it in the fridge to cool.  Serve with avocado and your favorite salsa on top.  You can stir in salsa

for a spicier dish.  Squeeze on a lime if you want.

It’s really Yummy!  It’s Vegan, and it’s Gluten-free.

ENJOY!