QUINOA TABBOULEH

Up until a couple of years ago I had never heard of quinoa. Suddenly it’s everywhere and all the cool people are eating it. Well, I may not be “cool”, but I AM room temperature and like to know what’s going on.

What’s going on is the revival of an ancient grain called quinoa (pronounced “keen’-wah”). It’s high in protein and lacks gluten (which has become the bad-boy of the food world these days). It also cooks really fast – it’s done is 10-15 minutes.

I decided to make tabbouleh, replacing the traditional bulgur with quinoa. Excellent!

Quinoa Tabbouleh is one of those multifaceted dishes that makes for a light lunch coupled with a hearty yeast roll, a substitute for a green salad, or a tangy side dish to accompany your entrée.

Even better, it’s easy to make and can be prepared well ahead of time. One less thing to do during that hectic count-down period when you’re trying to have everything done at the same time. (Don’t even think of talking to me during crazy-time!)

NOTE:  An easy way to chop parsley is to put washed parsley in a cup and snip away with your kitchen shears.

Chop parsley using kitchen shears

QUINOA TABBOULEH – makes 6 cups

• 1½ cups uncooked quinoa
• 1¾ tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 2 cups tomato, chopped
• 1½ cups parsley, finely chopped (measure before chopping)
• 1 1/3 c cucumbers, chopped
• 4 scallions, sliced

Cook quinoa by bringing 3 cups water and quinoa to a boil, then simmering covered until water is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes).  Stir every few minutes, keeping an eye out so it doesn’t burn. Let cool.

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until serving. It will keep for days.