Quinoa & Black Rice Salad

Recipe makes about 8 servings.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is high in protein, calcium, iron, phosphorus, B vitamins, and vitamin E. It's delicious, easy to prepare, and can be served instead of rice or cous-cous. Give it a try! Here's a favorite quinoa recipe from our kitchen:

* Prepare 1 cup black rice as directed.

* Rinse 1 cup quinoa in warm water to remove the natural (bitter) coating called saponin. Place the quinoa in 1 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Then simmer until the water has been absorbed (about 15 - 20 minutes).

* In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients:

2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped scallions
cooked quinoa
cooked black rice

*In a separate bowl, prepare the dressing by combining the following ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp cumin (or to taste)

* Garnish with steamed broccoli spears and/or feta cheese.

* Serve warm or cold.