Quinoa Salads

Quinoa is a South American grain that is especially high in protein. It's so good for you, in fact, that it was recently called out by a group of nutrition experts as one of the top five foods to incorporate into your diet (find out the other four ingredients in this Washington Post article by Denise DiFulco).

Quinoa is delicious in breads, soups, and gratins. If you can find quinoa flakes (which I recently discovered at Whole Foods), substitute them for oatmeal in all kind of bread and cookie recipes, for an extra punch of protein.
But quinoa truly shines in salad and pilaf-type dishes like these recipes from the talented food guides at About.com...

Vegan Quinoa Salad
Greek Quinoa Salad with Feta
Low Fat Curried Quinoa and Peas
Quinoa and Edamame Salad
Spicy Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms and Ginger
Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Fresh Herbs
Steak and Quinoa Salad with Mango Salsa
Quinoa and Cranberry Pilaf