KEEN-wa (aka, quinoa)

Quinoa is a type of seed that is cooked, prepared and eaten similarly to rice or any other type of grain. It is also a complete protein which is impressive considering it's a plant product. Quinoa is extremely versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways: savory side dishes, grain salads, sweet morning breakfasts, etc.

Quinoa, like pasta, is a vehicle to add any type of flavor that you want to it. One of my favorites is tabbouleh. This grain salad is great with chicken, grilled veggies and tzatziki. Tabbouleh is also very simple to make. Here's a basic tabbouleh recipe to get you started.

Tabbouleh 

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 teaspoons garlic

Juice from 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup chopped curly leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

Toss all the above ingredients together and serve!

*Here, I made a mini Greek style meat loaf with tzatziki and my tabbouleh.