Cranberry Almond Quinoa Salad
2012
It’s Thanksgiving weekend and that always makes me think of cranberries and so I am posting one of my favorite salads with cranberries! It’s sweet and salty, slightly nutty and delicious any time of the year. It’s also very easy to make and I’ll guide you though as usual with pictures below.
About the Salt
We are usually low to no salt around here, especially for Mom’s blood pressure, but this is one salad that I like to put a little salt in. It balances and brings out the sweet and sour taste of the cranberries and I find really makes a difference. I always use a natural salt and by that I don’t mean sea salt from the health food store. I am sorry if I am the one breaking this to you, but it is also chemically bleached and devoid of nutrients. The salt to go for is Himalayan and Celtic Sea salt, which are both mineral rich. They come straight from a natural source and are naturally processed leaving the trace minerals intact – over 80 trace minerals. Sometimes little things can make a big difference in our health. Both of these salts taste and act just like regular refined table salt, but they have a lower sodium content and are imho and in moderation, actually good for the health.
More on Himalayan Salt here. ..and now back to the recipe!
Cranberry Almond Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
4 cups Quinoa – cooked (1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups water = 4 cups)
¾ cup Almonds – chopped
½ cup dried Cranberries
½ cup Pumpkin seeds
1 – 2 Green onions or a handful of Chives – finely sliced
Dressing:
2 Tbsp Lemon juice (aprox. ½ of a lemon)
1 ½ Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Agave
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Directions
Cook the quinoa and let sit to cool. Quinoa is cooked in a similar manner to rice. You use double the water to quinoa, bring water to a boil, turn heat low and let lightly simmer for about 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed and then take off heat. Letting it sit after cooking it with a tea towel draped over the top of the pot will help make it light and fluffy. The towel absorbs some of the moisture.
While the quinoa is cooling, mix the dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl and whisking together with a small whisk or fork and chop the almonds and green onion or chives.
Transfer the quinoa into a bowl and add all of the other ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over top and stir or toss to combine.
Recipe in Pics
Cook the quinoa.
While quinoa is cooking mix the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
Get added ingredients ready. Chop the almonds and green onion or chives.
Put quinoa and rest of ingredients into a bowl, drizzle with dressing and stir well.
That’s it, easy and now it’s ready to eat.
