Quinoa, anyone?




Lately, quinoa has been doing pretty well for itself. Rising from obscurity in the early 2000s, it has established itself as  somewhat of a wonder food, and can now be found in everything from lasagna to breakfast food, shepherd’s pie to chocolate cake (albeit in flour form). It certainly deserves its newfound popularity – this complex carbohydrate is a great source of protein (a boon to vegetarians), is low in cholesterol and contains a host of vitamins such as flavonoids, which act as antioxidants.

I was first introduced to quinoa by H and her deliciously addictive quinoa salad, and I have never turned back. I love the richness of quinoa – which has a slightly higher unsaturated fat content than other grains  - and it’s versatility. On our trip to Peru, A and I ate a lot of quinoa, mostly in soup form; the plant is indigenous to that region, and quinoa was an integral part of the Incan diet. Last Christmas, I receive a quinoa cookbook from my parents – the surest sign that this grain has embedded itself into my culinary brain.

 I decided to try a new quinoa salad recipe this week, all part of my valiant (but fruitless) attempt to cut back on the gluten in my diet, and came across this gem. Here, the rich quinoa weaves together a web of flavors and textures – crisp, tart green apples, crunchy, buttery pecans, fresh parsley and salty, crumbly feta. I love the subtle sweetness of the vinaigrette, the perfect finishing touch to this light and flavorful dish. The salad keeps well – stored in the fridge in an airtight container, it is excellent for 4 lunch-sized portions over the course of a workweek. Well, if it lasts that long...

Quinoa with chickpeas, feta and apples
Adapted slightly from Dinner with Julie

Ingredients
For the salad
-       - 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed
-      -  1 tart apple (I used Granny Smith), chopped
-       - ¼ cup raisins
-       - 1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-       - 1 big handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
-       - 1/3 cup crumbled feta
-     -   ½ cup toasted pecans
-      -  Salt, to taste

For the vinaigrette
-      -  ¼ cup olive oil
-       - 2 tbsp lemon juice
-       - 1 tsp honey
-       - ¼ tsp curry powder

1.     Cook quinoa as directed.
2.     Remove from heat and let cool. Add the raisins as the quinoa is cooling – the heat released from the quinoa will hydrate the raisins and bring out their sweetness
3.     Add chickpeas, feta, parsley and apples and mix well.
4.     Add the dressing and toss till evenly coated; salt to taste,
5.     Stir in the pecans and serve

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