Quinoa - hard to spell, easy to make

It was just one of those days when I wasn't in the mood to do anything fancy or difficult. It was a long weekend, and I was in desperate need of some R&R and some healthy food.

Quinoa was the perfect anecdote for my case of the blahs. Simple to make and loaded with just the right kind of nutrients, quinoa  is a complex carbohydrate, which, as I've learned, is the good kind of carb.

I hunted for a simple quinoa recipe, and Martha came through with a salad I could make in a couple of minutes flat, Quinoa Salad with Cucumber.

I cooked up the quinoa in a sauce pan with water; this took all of 15 minutes before the grain was nice and soft. I cut up some cucumber and added that and grape tomatoes in for good measure. It was as simple as that! I topped the salad off with lemon juice and ended up with a fabulous, filling Saturday lunch.

RECIPE

Ingredients

Serves 6
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Coarse salt
1 small shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (1 cup)
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

- Bring water, quinoa, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, and let cool on a wire rack.
- Combine shallot, vinegar, and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil until emulsified.
- Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, and stir in cucumber, parsley, and vinaigrette. Season with salt.