Here's a successful experiment with raw food - I took this salad to a meat! barbeque party and everyone ate it and liked it. Quinoa (pronounced "keenwah") is an indiginous North American "grain" of the amaranth family. Technically not a grain, it was important nutritionally for pre-Columbian Andean civilizations. Quinoa seeds are higher in protein (12-18%) than wheat. Today you'll find quinoa in the dry grains section of specialty grocery stores.

Sprouting is a common technique used in the raw food lifestyle since it breaks down the grain or legume, making it easier to digest, without destroying the nutrients, enzymes and vitamins that heating foods above 118°F does.

How to sprout. Soak the quinoa overnight in water. After soaking, drain & rinse it in a fine mesh colander. Leave it in the colander, draining over a bowl and covered with a clean damp towel, for at least 6 hours. Rinse once during the 6 hours if possible, but don't rinse right before you make the salad, since it's best to have the quinoa on the drier side to better absorb the lemon & olive oil. If you want to prepare this ahead of time, you can put the sprouted quinoa in the refrigerator in a covered dish. It will keep on growing until you are ready to mix it up.

In a bowl, mix the quinoa with lemon juice, olive oil & salt. Add the other ingredients, except the mint leaves - add the mint just before serving. Enjoy!

Note: Parsley is classic, but cilantro can also be used to make up some of the greens.