Combine any of your favorite fresh vegetables with quinoa for a great side dish or serve it as an entrée for a summer luncheon. Quinoa is one of the few plant foods that is a complete protein. It has a wonderful nutty texture and it cooks as easy as rice.

4 cups fat-free chicken broth 2 cups quinoa 1 cup chopped tomato 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped zucchini 1 cup chopped peppers 1 cup corn 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Dressing1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup fresh basil salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add quinoa, stir and cover pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue to boil gently for 20 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork. Continue to cook over warm heat, uncovered, until broth has been absorbed. Pour cooked quinoa on a large rimmed baking pan to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, zucchini, peppers, corn, and parsley. Add cooled quinoa. In a small food processor combine all dressing ingredients. Pour over quinoa and vegetables. Stir to mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: 2 cups raw quinoa will make 8 cups of cooked quinoa. Choose any variety of fresh vegetables.

Serves 10

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories 220 Fat, gm. 7 Protein, gm. 7 Carbs, gm. 31 Cholesterol, mg. 0 Fiber, gm. 3.8