Quinoa – Take II

Several readers mentioned that they preferred white quinoa over red. I decided to pick some up during my last grocery shopping trip.

I went with a package of Eden Organic Quinoa. I wasn’t sure what I was going to make with it until I stumbled upon an article in my February/March 2011 Fine Cooking magazine. “Go for the grain” – the article talked about all kinds of grains. Teff, Farro, Millet, Quinoa and Amaranth. I’ve only tried two from the bunch. I will definitely be adding to my pantry staples – I look forward to trying each one in different ways.

The article also had a recipe to go with each grain. The quinoa salad recipe “Quinoa Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Gouda” used red quinoa, but I decided to use my organic white. It also called for diced fennel and I am not a fan, so I omitted that. I made a few other substitutions based on availability at the store and what I had on hand. I will note those.

The Ingredients:
(Serves 6 as a main course – 10 as a side dish)

1.5 Cups Quinoa
5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil – more if needed
1 Large Red Onion – quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
4 oz. (approximately 3 cups) Arugula – the recipe said trimmed and thinly sliced – I just used baby arugula in it’s full form
4 oz. Aged Gouda – finely diced (about 1 Cup) – I used smoked Gouda because I love it!
3 Medium Celery Stalks – thinly sliced – my slices weren’t super thin – see photo
1 Large, Crisp Apple, such as Fuji or Pink Lady – I used Fuji and cut it into a 1/2 inch dice
1 Cup Walnuts – coarsely chopped – I had regular walnuts, but they had gone bad. I used candied walnuts – so I just used 3 tablespoons
1 Cup Finely Diced Fennel – I omitted this ingredient, due to personal preference
3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
3 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey – I added this ingredient – it wasn’t included in the original recipe
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper

Prepare the quinoa  by rinsing and transferring to a pot of boiling water. I used 2.5 cups water with a little sea salt. I added my 1.5 cup of rinsed quinoa to the rapid boiling water, then I reduced the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes on low. I did not need to drain any water after the 15 minutes, I just fluffed the quinoa with a fork.

I chopped my onion while the quinoa cooked. I had a giant red onion, so I only used 1/2. I heated 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. I added the onion and a pinch of salt and cooked for about 6-8 minutes.

Once the onions turned tender and brown around the edges, I added the 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar until it cooked away – about 2-3 minutes. I then removed the onions from the heat and let them cool to room temperature.

I then prepped the rest of my items.

In a large bowl, mix the cooled quinoa, onions, arugula, cheese, celery, apple, walnuts, and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil with the 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and ground pepper. I ended up adding a good heaping tablespoon of honey to the dressing. Before that, it was super tart and I wanted to tame it a bit.

Get everything mixed together and add more olive oil if you feel like it needs it. Mine was perfect with the 3 tablespoons.

This is a warning to anyone that knows me in real life. I will be bringing this salad to any BBQ or event I’m invited to. I will also be serving it at every pool party over the Summer. OMG!, I have not been this excited about something since the Scalloped Tomato recipe featured back in August. I was so crazy about this salad, I filled a container and brought it to work for my friend Kristen. I stood at her cubicle and practically begged her to taste it – after she had already had lunch. LOL.

I am counting down the minutes until I can eat another serving. Yes, it’s that crazy good!

I definitely noticed a less woody taste in the white quinoa vs. the red, but I like them both, and look forward to trying the red in the recipe as well.

The combination of grain, apple, gouda, and celery crunch – teamed with the baby arugula – oh my, this recipe really ranks as being one of my favorites over the past year. The sweet and savory reminded me of a Waldorf salad without the heavy mayo.

Why in the world did I wait so long to cook quinoa?