Crazy for quinoa? 14 quinoa dishes to try.

If you're into healthy eating at all -- or Pinterest -- you're probably seeing quinoa everywhere. If you've tried it once before and been unimpressed, try it again. The first dish I had was leftovers from a homemade dish, and was mushy and bland. The second was at a great bistro: the texture was like perfectly-done, nutty brown rice, and the flavor was amped up with some other great ingredients such as sweet potato and balsamic vinaigrette.

And why is it so hot? A dietition on FitDay says that, compared to rice, quinoa "has many more nutrients: it is a complete protein (contains an essential amino acid lysine, which is good for tissue repair and growth), high in iron and fiber, and contains Vitamin E, zinc, and selenium." She also says that quinoa is related to spinach. Huh! I didn't know that. Texture-wise, it makes a great, higher-protein substitute for not only rice, but also orzo pasta and couscous.

 I've created a quinoa salad inspired by that yummy restaurant dish, and also made a simple pilaf by adding sauteed onion and mushrooms. Loved them both; now I want more!

So I'm on the lookout for great quinoa recipes. Because I'm compiling this list for myself, I thought I'd share it here. But to make this a quick post, I'm not including pics of each one. (The photo above is of "super berry quinoa salad," by Angela Simpson, via Eat Spin Run Repeat.)

But trust me: they're all lovely and colorful!

I started this list with 12, but I keep finding more. So far I'm up to 14...

Super berry quinoa salad  (pictured above)

Quinoa with toasted pine nuts

Quinoa pilaf

Colorful quick quinoa Greek salad

Black bean quinoa with basil-lemon dressing

Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa

Avocado quinoa salad

BLT quinoa salad

Cilantro-lime quinoa

And some orzo dishes to try with quinoa...

Spinach and orzo salad

Sun-dried tomato orzo

Mexican orzo salad

I'd like to try making this wheat-based salad with quinoa...

Strawberry Wheatberry Salad

And a rice dish from Kalyn's Kitchen...

Christmas Rice with Bell Peppers, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

Have you tried quinoa yet? If not, here's a primer on how to cook it.