Ingredients

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
salt
6 dried apricots, finely diced
2 tablespoon snipped chives or scallions
3 tablespoon finely diced yellow bell pepper (red works too)
1/4 cup dried currants
3 tablespoon pine nuts (I prefer pumpkin seeds)
Vinaigrette:
grated lemon zest and lemon juice from one lemon
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
salt to taste
4 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water then pour into a fine meshed strainer and rinse again under running water.

Bring water to boil add salt, stir in the quinoa.

Lower the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. taste the grain. There should be just a little resistance and the opaque spiraled ring of germ should show. if necessary continue cooking till done.

Pour into strainer and set it to drain over a bowl. (Save the liquid and it can replace the oil in the vinaigrette or be used in soups.)

Toast the pine nuts (or pumpkin seeds) in a dry pan till they are golden brown.

Toss the warm quinoa with the apricots, currants, bell pepper, scallions, pine nuts and vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette:

Combine zest, cilantro/parsley, cumin, coriander, paprika and salt in a bowl, stir then whisk in the olive oil, add lemon juice to taste.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 1 hour