Quinoa Crazy!

I'm in love with the quinoa grain! It is so tasty. You can serve it as a hot dish or as a cold dish. I made up a Mediterranean salad version of quinoa last night to accompany some soup and an omelet.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic

Make the quinoa first. Heat a suacepan over medium heat. Pour in a little olive oil and add the quinoa. Let the quinoa cook for a little without liquid to bring out the nutty flavor. Add the garlic and water, cover and simmer like you would rice. When the quinoa is al dente remove it from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes covered. Allow to cool to room temp.

Combine the following in a bowl:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 t oregano
1 t fresh ground pepper
a few Italian olives, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 T fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup diced cucumber
1/3 of a green pepper, diced

Add the quinoa and stir well. Season to taste with salt or Cavender's Greek Seasoning.