We try to incorporate a lot of interesting whole grains into our diet — and quinoa is one of our favorites. But just boiling it up and tossing in some salt, pepper and oil is not that interesting, and even the lusciousness of tossing in some easily melting cheese like crescenza gets repetitive. So when I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Fine Cooking, I couldn’t wait to try it.
I whipped up a batch as the side dish for our dinner tonight (braised short ribs again — I meant to do tequila-braise but we ended up with beer braised again… still delicious). It’s easy, quick, and healthy.
We used red quinoa as the recipe calls for which gives it that beautiful color — but I also had to use some other “tri-color mix” to make a full cup, and it doesn’t matter what kind of quinoa you use, really. For the dried fruits, I followed the instructions on the raisins (golden in this case) and dried apricot, but for a little extra flavor I also threw in a couple of dried mission figs. I toasted the almonds in the toaster oven (I <3 my new Breville oven!) and roughly chopped them — they were a little too big chunks, so next time I would either chop them more or not include them; to me they were not needed.
With all that “healthiness” it’s nice to know it’s tasty too. Well, Deborah Madison (oh former goddess of Greens Restaurant) gets the credit for this recipe so that’s no surprise. The avocado helps hold the quinoa together and brings a nice richness of bite to the dish… with the sweet chewiness of the raisins, apricots and figs to set it off. The lemon, cumin, paprika and coriander combine with the flavors and kind of meld them together; it’s not a sour taste but rather a bright freshness. Since it takes dried fruit it can be made in any season, but it tastes a little like springtime.
Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Dried Fruit and Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette
- 3 Tbs. raisins (I used golden)
- 2 Tbs. dried apricots, thinly sliced
Feel free to swap in or add additional dried fruits. I sliced up a couple of dried mission figs; I could see cranberries working, dried cherries, etc.
- 1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well
- Kosher salt
- 1 large lemon
- 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
- 2 medium firm-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz. each)
- 2 medium scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped toasted almonds
- Freshly ground black pepper
Soak the dried fruits in hot water a couple of minutes, and then drain and set aside.
Then, cook the quinoa — bring the quinoa to a boil (pinch of salt and 2 cups of water), then cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. The quinoa will have become tender and “bloomed”, and the white squiggles will be visible. Fluff the quinoa and then pour it onto a baking sheet so it can cool.
While the quinoa is cooling, zest the lemon and squeeze about a tablespoon of juice out. Whisk the zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, and a pinch of salt.
Wait until you’re ready to serve the salad — then prep the avocado — pit, peel and cut into ~1/2 inch chunks (mine may have been closer to 1/4 inch, which was still substantial enough). Toss the vinaigrette with the quinoa, dried fruit, avocado, scallions, and almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
