Monday, March 30, 2015

Quinoa Salad with orange, cranberries and pecans



I like this salad, it is very light and refreshing.
I use pearled quinoa and an organic brand of dried cranberries, not craisins, they tend to make the quinoa change color. You can be
creative and add chopped fennel, pears, or grapes the ingredients are endless. I've eaten
this for breakfast the next day!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange - grated rind,
      segments removed and juiced.
1 lemon - grated rind,
       squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 crisp apple (fuji)
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup mixed baby arugula, kale & radicchio
1 orange pepper chopped
10 sugar snap peas cut into thirds
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a large bowl of water, drain the water and place in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until moisture has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and spread out in a pyrex dish to cool.

Meanwhile, wash the orange and lemon, grate the rind off both the orange and the lemon, being careful not to grate the white pith part. Place the zest in a large bowl.
Cut the orange in half and cut out each orange segment and add to the bowl, then squeeze the juice into the bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
Add 4 tablespoon olive oil to the juices and mix with a spoon.
Wash an orange pepper, remove the seeds and chop. Add to bowl.
Chop one stalk celery, chop 1/4 cup pecans (or walnuts), peel and chop an apple and add to bowl.
Wash 10 sugar snap peas and slice into thirds, add to bowl.
Wash 1 cup of baby arugula, kale and radicchio, pat dry with paper towels and add to bowl.
Add 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Stir in the quinoa and fold all together.
Season with salt and pepper.
If you like, you can add some chopped parsley (1/4 cup) and 1 tablespoon chopped mint.
Store in fridge, very good chilled.