Spring has sprung and Chef Elyce made this delicious Quinoa Salad recipe. It’s perfect for entertaining as it is a feast for both the eyes and the palate.
It would most certainly make a great addition to your Mother’s Day Brunch menu.
Speaking of Mother’s Day, Chef Elyce has you covered let your loved ones know if you’d like to receive a gift certificate for Cooking Lessons or for some Personal Chef time.
Chef Elyce can be reached at www.veganchefelyce.com or on Instagram @veganchefelyce.
Happy Cooking!
Spring Quinoa Salad
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Multi-Colored Quinoa
2.5 cups Vegetable Stock
1 bunch Fresh Thyme (optional)
4 Bay Leaves (optional)
1 fl oz Olive Oil (light)
1 large Red Onion
8 oz Dried Apricots
4 TBS Fresh Chives
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley
5 oz Baby Arugula
8 oz Shelled Pistachios
3 TBS Fig Preserves or Fig Butter (I like Trader Joe’s fig butter)
8 fl oz Balsamic Vinegar
To taste Himalayan Pink Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
1 TBS Balsamic Glaze
PREPARATION:
- Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly, and then place in an oven safe casserole dish that has an oven safe lid, or that can be covered with tin foil. Add the vegetable stock & feel free to throw in some fresh thyme &/or bay leaves. Cover with the oven safe lid or tightly cover with foil.
- Cook in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy when stirred with a fork. Remove from the oven safe dish that you cooked it in and allow it to cool. Remove the thyme and bay leaves if you used them and throw them out. You can spread it out on a cookie sheet to accelerate the cooling process.
- While the quinoa is in the oven, prep the other ingredients.
- Cut the red onion in half thru the core end, then place the flat end on the board and slice into half moons.
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan on medium heat and once hot, add the onions. Caramelize, stirring occasionally. Remove the onions from the sauté pan and allow to cool. If another cookie sheet is available, transfer them to that in the same fashion as the quinoa.
- Slice the dried apricots, chop the chives and parsley.
- Whisk the fig jam or fig butter and the balsamic vinegar in a pourable container.
- Combine the cooled quinoa, the cooled onions, the dried apricots, the chopped herbs, the pistachios and the baby arugula. Toss with the balsamic, fig liquid mixture.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Drizzle with balsamic glaze when serving.
