Just Another Meatless Monday #67 Quinoa Side Dish

As many of you know I love quinoa. I'm not sure if I love It more for the taste or for how fast it cooks up or because it's a whole grain. Perhaps it's all three, a side dish trifecta if you will. What could possibly be better than a tasty whole grain that cooks in less than 20 minutes? Plus it's the only whole grain that's a complete protein(contains all 9 essential amino acids, most plant foods don't), ahhh the wonders of quinoa.

Whats that? You haven't tried quinoa before? Well this is an excellent recipe to get started with because it's not only easy to make, but it's good hot or cold. That's right this recipe is flexible, make it early in the day for a cooling summer salad side dish or whip it up right before dinner and serve it hot, full of melting feta. Great, now I want quinoa.

Quinoa Side Dish
makes 6 one cup servings
total cooking time 15-20 minutes

4 cups water+plus extra running water to rinse quinoa
2 cups quinoa-washing instructions in the recipe directions
1 tub Knorr Homestyle Stock
1 clove of garlic crushed and chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbles, divided
1 cup cherry tomatoes, washed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
fresh ground pepper to taste

bring the 4 cups of water to a boil in 2 quart dutch oven or sauce pan
then wash quinoa, you must wash quinoa before cooking with to remove bitter saponins (present to keep birds from eating it) this is easy enough to do, place quinoa in a bowl cover it with water and gently rub the quinoa between your hands for 1-2 minutes then rinse with cool water and drain off as much water as possible, set aside
when your cooking water is boiling add the Knorr Homestyle Stock and stir to dissolve
pour in the rinsed quinoa and return to a boil
reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally
meanwhile prep your other ingredients and get them ready to add to the quinoa
when the quinoa is tender and the liquid is gone remove from the heat
add the garlic, olive oil, vinegar and chopped basil, stir to combine
then stir in 3/4 cup of feta, the tomatoes and the walnuts
taste and add pepper if desired
put in a serving dish and top with remaining feta
serve immediately or cover and chill for later use

Peace and Love--