tofu and french bean quinoa with heirloom tomato cucumber salad

quinao, pronouced keen-wa, originated in south america and was a staple food of the ancient incas. although quinoa may resemble a grain, it is actually the seeds of a leafy plant. quinoa is a complete protein that consists of 12%-18% protein. below is a recipe that i concocted in my kitchen tonight. for the side dish, i made an simple heirloom tomato cumber salad inspired by a tomato salad i had at lucas in oakland. to your health!

quinoa ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (i used trader joe's organic quinoa)
1 cup of vegetable stock
7oz tofu (cubed and browned in canola oil)
french green beans (cut in half)
salt and pepper

directions:
1) place quinoa and vegetable stock in a small quart pot and bring to boil. reduce to simmer and cover. cook for 10-15 minutes.
2) steam french green beans.
3) in a large bowl, toss quinoa, green beans, and browned tofu. add salt and pepper to taste.

tomato heirloom cucumber salad ingredients:
1/2 lbs of heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1/2 lbs of cucumbers, sliced
1/4 of sliced red onions
3tbs red wine vinegar
2tbs of white vinegar
2tbs olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

directions-
1) whisk red wine vinegar, white vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
2) in a larger bowl, combine cucumbers and tomatoes. add vinaigrette mixture to the cucumbers and tomatoes. toss all ingredients together and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.