I first found out about Quinoa a few years ago when a friend was always making it because she had to start eating Gluten free. All I could remember thinking was, “Man, this stuff is so good, I can’t believe there isn’t any Gluten.”

There are so many different ways to use quinoa, literally, endless. Get on Pinterest right now, search for “quinoa” and get ready for your head to explode. Some of the possibilities seem insanely unique and delicious. You can compare it to rice or couscous, but many out there would obviously agree there is something special about quinoa. Maybe the craze is a fad, but one thing’s for sure – I’m gonna try as many quinoa recipes as I can.

I am partial to a super basic greek quinoa salad since it is one of the first ways I ever ate it. Adjust the recipe to your preferences –  this one is all about wingin’ it and going by taste.

Recipe

Greek Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 large cucumber
• 2 tomatoes, diced, or 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• half of 1 red onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups halved kalamata olives
• 1 4 oz block of feta cheese, cubed
• splash olive oil
• splash red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. dried or fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp. dried or fresh parsley
• dash of salt and pepper

1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package instructions. Usually the rule is 2 parts water, 1 part quinoa. So, usually you cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer, covered, for about 12-15 minutes until you can fluff quinoa with a fork. Add a spalsh of olive oil and salt and pepper, set aside and let cool.
2. Add the chopped veggies to a large bowl. Dress with a splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add more salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley to taste.
3. Add the feta and kalamata olives. toss the mixture, then add the quinoa and toss again.