Keen-wah. No, it's not a karate move.

About 3 weeks ago, in an attempt to eat healthier, I made quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). I didn't know much about it at all, so I did some internet research, came up with a recipe, went to Fairway, and came home ready to go.

Quinoa is a seed (sometimes called a grain, but it's really a seed) from South America, and has been used by the Incas for thousands of years. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans, and is very high in protein. Quinoa is also gluten free. There are many types of quinoa, I used white, but there is also red and black. I've heard that the red is really tasty!

This is the quinoa:

Up close:

You have to soak it to remove the outer coating because it has a soapy flavor (not so appetizing). All of my strainers had holes too big for the small grain, so I had to improvize and use my coffee filter. :)

Dump it in the pot:

Add some water:

When it's done it's kind of fluffy.

Then came my idea, add leftover salsa from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, Cilantro. It's yummy.

Then I had an ear of fresh corn.

So I cut it off the cob.

And sauted it in some butter in my cute little cast iron skillet.

And dumped it all in the quinoa!

Now comes the meat. I used a Spicy BBQ rub (Kansas City Style, of course) that I made a few weeks ago, and never blogged about.

I rubbed the dry rub and a Chili Lime seasoning on some skirt steak. Skirt steak is usually what is used as fajita meat. It cooks well on the stove.

Cooking the meat:

And here is my plate:

The meat was sooo yummy. The quinoa was really good too. I was proud of myself for trying something new!

I realize that most of you might not have access to buy things like quinoa, but if you have a natural food store or Whole Foods in your area you can probably find it. I also have some bulgar wheat. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I haven't been inspired yet, but I'll let you know when I cook it!