Quinoa recipe

Over the past couple of months, quinoa has become a staple at our house.  Quinoa (keen-wah) are small seeds that are cooked, and used, much like rice.  Quinoa contains essential amino acids, such as lysine, as well as calcium, magnesium and iron.  It is also a good vegetarian source of protein, and it's gluten-free.

This past summer a friend of ours made a quinoa dish for a party one day.  I liked it so much, I asked for the recipe, and it has become one of our favorite dishes.

Here's the recipe:

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper1 cup quinoa, rinsed well several times3 T olive oil1 bunch scallions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced into rounds2 jalapeno chiles, finely diced, seeded (or for a less spicy alternative, Anaheims)1 garlic clove, finely chopped1 teaspoon ground cumin2 cups, more or less, fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 3 ears of corn)½ pound spinach leaves½ cup chopped cilantro¼ lb feta cheese, cut into small cubes
Warm the oil in a wide skillet. Add the scallions and chiles, cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, corn and spinach, along with 2 tablespoons of water.
When the spinach is wilted, add the cilantro, quinoa, and feta. Toss everything together, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon salt, then quinoa. Give it a stir, cover, and simmer over low until the grains are tender, about 15 minutes.

This mixture can also be stuffed inside of roasted bell peppers for something a little fancier.  (This makes a fairly large portion.  My husband and I have enough for dinner two nights in a row, plus a little left for lunch the next day.)

Enjoy!