RECIPE - Red Quinoa in Pear Marinade

I've decided to occasionally post some of my favorite recipes.  I'll do this as time allows.  As I love to share any other things which I find helpful, I thought I would share some delectable recipes too.

This one comes from my Inca Red Quinoa box.  Quinoa is pronounced "keen-wa".  It is an amazing grain (some say it's a seed) full of protein, essential amino acids, and gluten free.  

This recipe is not anything of my own, but it is wonderful and very healthy for you.  Plus it is gluten free!  You can read more about quinoa and find more recipes at the Quinoa Corporation website.  This recipe is also on that site under the "Inca Red Pamphlet" link.

RED QUINOA IN PEAR MARINADE   

½ cup canned pears, blended to smooth consistency 
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
3 tablespoons liquid from the can of pears 
½ teaspoon sea salt 
¼ cup minced onion or scallions 
½ cup diced cucumber 
½ cup diced yellow bell pepper 
2 cups cooked red quinoa 
½ cup roasted almonds or cashews, coarsely chopped   

Cook red quinoa and let it cool. Place blended pears into a medium bowl. Add ginger, vinegar, liquid from can of pears, and sea salt. Mix well. Place onion, cucumber, and yellow pepper into the marinade and toss. Add quinoa, mix thoroughly, and chill or let sit at room temperature for a minimum of one hour. Add nuts and serve. This dish will keep well for several days in the refrigerator. Serves 4.       

When I cook my quinoa, I combine 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water and 3/4 tsp of salt and 3/4 tsp of olive oil. And I do have to cook it longer than the instructions on the box.  This could be because I live at high altitude; I'm not sure.  One cup of uncooked quinoa turns into 3 1/3 cooked cups.  Since I put salt in the quinoa when I cook it, I omit the salt from the recipe above.