Friday, April 1, 2011

FFWD: Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad


Would you believe me if I told you this was my very first attempt at making quinoa? I know! Where have I been the last, I don't know, five years? What's even worse is that I have had a box of quinoa in my cupboard for months. Maybe I was just waiting for the right recipe to come along before I jumped in. And was this ever a good recipe to start off with! I'm in love with quinoa and I regret having waited so long to try it.



This seed that doubles as a grain is quick-cooking, delicious and high in protein. That qualifies as a super-food in my book. Maybe I thought quinoa would be a hassle to work with, having to rinse all those little guys and then cook them, but it took no time at all. I actually cooked these before I went to work one morning.


I love the taste and the texture of quinoa. It kind of pops in your mouth and it has a nutty, almost grassy flavor that is a great match for dried fruits and toasted nuts and seeds. I used pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, golden raisins, currants, cranberries and apricots. All of which I just happened to have in my pantry because I'm a pack-rat with this sort of food. Mostly because I love to make my own granola. Now I'm going to be using them for this salad and taking it to work for lunch. I could eat this every day, that's how good it is.


The dressing for this salad is a blend of lemon juice,  olive oil, walnut oil and a pinch of ground ginger. Lemon-ginger vinaigrette. That's a new one for me and it's genius. If I ever have any fresh ginger laying around, I'll be trying it with some grated into the dressing. But ground ginger was delicious. I loved the dollop of yogurt on top, too. It brings a fantastic tangy dimension to the dish that contrasts with the sweetness of the fruit. I never would have thought of putting yogurt on a salad like this, especially with greens, but somehow it works.


Be sure to check out the rest of the bloggers who made this salad over at French Fridays with Dorie. I'd also like to say a big thank you to Dorie for giving me the perfect quinoa starter recipe. Readers, you really should pick up Around My French Table and make this as soon as you can. This was the recipe for me that made it so worth the price of the book.




18 comments:

  1. Glad you liked the dish! Yours turned out great!

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  2. Quinoa is so versatile. You did great with this recipe and I hope quinoa becomes a regular in your menu as it is in mine :)

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  3. Wow! Such a pretty first effort too! Great job!

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  4. It is great that this is your first experience with quinoa. I bet that it won't be your last.

    The good thing about our groups is that they push us into new cooking experiences.

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  5. Nana and I are with you on this being our introduction to quinoa. I know I will be returning back and trying many versions and am hoping to make Nana a convert :) I love how healthy this super food is and was surprised at how quick the recipe was to prepare. I am always looking for Brown Bag lunch options and this opened a whole new universe. Yay FF's !

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  6. Thanks for reading, everyone. I appreciate the comments and seeing everyone's variations on this dish! I love trying new things and this group is a great way to experience new foods and techniques.

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  7. Beautiful photos! Your salad looks so appetizing! Great Job!!I We really enjoyed this dish too!

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  8. Nice photos! Glad you like the salad.

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  9. I love your fruit and nut picture - so pretty!

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  10. Glad you found another use for your 'granola supplies! I need to try the dressing with walnut oil; I don't have any in the house at this time.

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  11. Great post! This was my first experience with quinoa, too, and I really enjoyed it. Before it's cooked, it looks a lot like birdseed, doesn't it?

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  12. Ha! You are definitely not alone for not trying quinoa before, Christina. :) I really enjoyed this as well and will eat this all the time now, especially for lunch. It just made me feel good eating it. Your photos of your salad are lovely!

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  13. Your salad looks so pretty. I loved this too!

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  14. Glad your first experience was positive. It looks like it came out very lovely!

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  15. Those sesame seeds sound like a nice addition. Your salad looks great!

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  16. I am happy that your first time was a success! I have made a quinoa salad several times, with different ingredients, and I love quinoa for its versatility. I still experiment, and it seems that the possibilities are endless:)
    I thought that the greens were not necessary, but yogurt was a must:)

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  17. Your photos are quite lovely! So glad your first time with quinoa was such a hit!!

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  18. Your fruit and nut combinations sound great. We love quinoa here - it's so adaptable and so easy to prepare.

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