Quinoa is a protein-rich grain native to South America and it’s really a seed, cooked like a whole grain. It only takes 15 minutes to cook, unlike brown rice, barley, or other whole grains, which take about an hour. So it’s a quick and easy favorite of mine. Contributed by Meg Wolff, from A Life in Balance ^[1], ©2010, Down East Books.

Serves: 6

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 red pepper (and/or carrot), diced
• black olives, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans
• 1 cup peas
• 1/4  cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4  cup parsley
• 1/4  cup lemon juice
• 1/4  cup wheat-free soy sauce or teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4  cup olive oil

Toss ingredients together and enjoy with steamed greens and a soup if desired.

• Here are more quinoa recipes ^[2].

To learn more about Meg Wolff and plant-based diets visit her website ^[3] and blog ^[4]. Find out more about her other book, Becoming Whole: The Story of My Complete Recovery from Breast Cancer ^[5].