"Q" is for Quinoa

I first heard about quinoa (kin-waa) about two years ago...one of my manager's at work brought a quinoa salad to a "pot luck" function during Public Service Week.  It was quite different to look at---sort of like tapioca, but it was delicious!

Here's a recipe I use:

  

Quinoa-Vegetable Salad

1 cup quinoa

1 each red onion, julienned

1 each clove garlic, chopped fine

½ cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup thinly sliced button mushrooms

1/3 cup canned corn, drained

½ cup zucchini, diced

½ cup yellow squash, diced

½ each green pepper, diced

1/4 cup green onion, chopped fine

1/3 cup tomato salsa

salad oil

To taste-salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa with cold water in a fine sieve

Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil and add the quinoa. 

Reduce heat immediately to simmer and cook until the quinoa 

looks “popped.” About 15-20 minutes.

Once the quinoa is cooked, drain through a sieve, rinse with cold 

water and set aside until ready for use.

Place a large pan over high heat and add just enough oil to barely coat the bottom. 

Add all the vegetables except for the green onion and corn, and cook, 

stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add the corn and cook for an additional minute just to heat the corn up. 

(You do not want the vegetables to brown-if they start to brown, add just a splash of water.)

Place all ingredients and 1 T of oil and the salsa into a bowl double the size of the 

ingredients and mix with a spoon.

Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serves 4-6

Quinoa-Vegetable salad

My niece Tonya also introduced me to chocolate covered Quinoa this past Christmas.  Now anything covered in chocolate, I'm in!!  Check it out if you a chance, it's delicious....sort of the texture of really tiny chocolate covered nuts.

Chocolate-covered quinoa

Lastly.....

"Q" is for Quat

Do you quat much???
I quat a lot when I'm berry picking!
Quat is an old Newfoundland term in my region.

When you go to the link for Quat, select the letter Q at the top of the page,

come down the list and find quat...then decide if you would be 

comfortable to quat while eating your Quinoa salad!!!

What are some Quaint sayings or terms in your area??   I'd love for you to share some with me!

Have a great day ;o)