Cranberry Quinoa Squares

Call me a princess but I don't like to eat the same thing for dinner two nights in a row.  Leftovers for lunch the following day are totally cool though.  I know some people who have a severe aversion to leftovers. They cannot fathom eating something that has to be re-heated.  Not me.  I would prefer leftovers in my lunch sac (I sound like I am in grade 3:) over a salad or sandwich any day.

The other day I made a double batch of quinoa thinking I would use it the next night in a different way...didn't happen.  The following day I realized this quinoa was going to get tossed if I didn't use it up.  I came across a recipe for dark chocolate quinoa bars and decided to use that as a starting point.  This recipe turned out really well.  Not only are these bars Kevin approved (have the icon ready but need to figure out how to post it) they are also endorsed by his bike team.  The majority of this batch got sent along with the team on a road trip to a race. 

Mexi-Quinoa Salad

I'm going to credit this recipe with the fact that this is the first time I have actually enjoyed eating quinoa. I make it every now and then because I know it is healthy but have never REALLY loved it.  I also tried a new method of rinsing the quinoa. When you forget the rinse step, you know it!  The quinoa tastes nasty and soapy in my opinion.   In the past I rinsed uncooked quinoa in a strainer.  I would run water over it and mix it up with my fingers.  This time, I soaked the uncooked quinoa in cold water for 3 minutes and then strained it. 

I served this quinoa salad as a side dish to some grilled chicken and sautéed rapini but it could easy be a main. It also makes a great lunch to take to work. I think the key with this recipe (and why I loved this quinoa) is that: