Q is for QUINOA

This week on ABC Wednesday, we're celebrating the letter Q and when I started thinking about this particular letter, I thought "What the heck am I going to write about this week? I've already done words like queen, quaint, quirky, quiet, questions, quit, quiz, quotations, and Quesnel ( a town in British Columbia).  Some of these words I've even done more than once!  So I needed something original and I came up with QUINOA! 

First of all, what IS quinoa?  It is pronounced KEEN-WAH in case you're unfamiliar with the word.  I had to look it up and apparently it's an annual flowering plant grown for its edible seeds and is related to beetroot and spinach.  My first introduction to it was through my daughter who suggested I try a particular salad that she likes.  My first reaction to this was from Dr. Seuss's book "I Don't Like Green Eggs and Ham!"  However, it actually tasted quite good! These are quinoa seeds:

Since my first introduction to quinoa salads, I've tried several different types from the deli counter at the local Save-On grocery story.  One that I quite like and have had many times is a Mexican one with black beans.  Another one has lemon in it so it has a bit of a bite and another has chickpeas in it.  With the variety of spices added, a quinoa salad is the perfect side dish to pretty much any meal.  And they're easy to bring to a potluck, too!  Here are a few different quinoa salads and if you've never tried any, go to your local deli counter and simply ask for a taste of what they have.  Then you can decide if you like it before buying it or attempting to make your own.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Lemon Cilantro Chickpea Quinoa Salad

Chickpea Kale Quinoa Salad

Go on - give it a try!  Don't be like me and think "I don't like green eggs and ham!"  You never know!  You just might like it - like I did.