Quinoa is a poster child for foods that tastes good and are good for you. It has an earthy, nutty taste and pairs well with a variety of flavors. Quinoa also is super nutritious and packs roughly as much protein as milk. 
Quinoa is an ancient grain that’s native to the Andes Mountains. The heiress, actress and chef Anna Getty notes the Incas considered quinoa sacred and called it the mother of all grains. She uses it to create a red quinoa salad that includes toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries, cucumbers, and feta cheese. It gets added flavor with a lemony dressing. (Click here to see the recipe.)
“I like the red in this salad for its vibrant flavor,” writes Getty, author of the book Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic (Chronicle Books, 2010), where the recipe appears.
You can find red and white quinoa in health food stores and well-stocked supermarkets.
“Make sure you wash the quinoa thoroughly to remove the bitter outer coating,” advises Getty, the great granddaughter of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.
To make the salad, cook the quinoa and let it cool. Then simply add the toasted pine nuts, chopped cranberries, cut cucumber, cubes of feta, and chopped parsley. The dressing combines lemon and extra virgin olive oil.
See our January eNewsletter for more recipes using foods that taste good and are good for you. (Click here to see the eNews.)
Bon appétit,
Your friends at California Olive Ranch
