Groovy Fruity Quinoa with Toasted Walnuts

 A heavy rain drums excitedly on the roof.  Our cat, Niles, takes up his usual post in a kitchen chair.

Outside, trees are budding and delicate blossoms uncurl from mossy soil.  I feel the subtle expansion of seasons shifting as the earth slowly nods her head toward the sun.  My old homes in eastern Washington State, Montana, and Idaho are still seeing snowflakes--but not here.  It's a gradual transformation, but the transformation has begun.

I spent the last several days deciding on a dish that could be both comforting and light; something that gently guides you across the bridge from winter to spring.  I have been unknowingly preparing lighter dishes already, which is kind of neat!  Instead of a heavier lentil burger with all the fixings, I made lentil burger patties with miso gravy for lunch over the weekend (both recipes are from How It All Vegan! by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard).  Today, I indulged in a couscous cake recipe found in Jessica Porter's The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics.  

Today, I wanted something sweet but not something you'd serve for dessert.  Something light, but not summery.  As I rummaged through my poorly-organized pantry, I found the answer.  Quinoa!

I love quinoa.  It's high in protein and looks really pretty--what's not to love?  Okay, it took a little while to warm up to it, but I let it grow on me.  All it took was a trip to Thrive (they're big on quinoa!) to realize that I was overcooking it.  No wonder I didn't love it before!

Groovy Fruity Quinoa with Toasted Walnuts

This dish could probably be served with breakfast if it weren't for the red onions.  In fact, it could still be breakfast...but it went well with a pressed salad for dinner!

1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup organic, unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup water
Salt, to taste
1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped (raisins, currants, apricots, dates--whatever turns you on)
1/4-1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts 

Place the apple juice, water, and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil.  While you're waiting, rinse the quinoa in cold water to remove the bitter protective coating.

When the juice and water are boiling, add the quinoa and dried fruit.  Cover and let simmer for 12 minutes.

In the last minute of cooking, add the red onion.  This blanches the onion so it's not quite as intense!  Finally, remove everything from heat and let it sit for about five minutes.  Fluff with a fork and add the toasted nuts.  You could garnish it with citrus zest or toasted seeds, too! 

Serves 4


Idea: If this is too sweet for dinner, try adding some cinnamon and brown rice syrup.  Instant dessert or breakfast!