Inspired by a delicious quinoa salad at a Mexican restaurant, a while back, my husband and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to recreate it at home. Healthy quinoa is mixed with red pepper, red onions, crunchy pepitas, and sweet, dried cranberries for a refreshingly light salad.
Please tell me I'm not the only who does this. Have you tried to recreate a dish you have had at a restaurant? Or maybe you have dreamt about it? Saying to yourself, "I bet I could make this at home." I have had many thoughts of doing this and only have actually done it a few times. I guess I could ask the chef for the recipe, but sometimes its fun trying to see if you could do it yourself. This recipe is one of those times, and I think I nailed it.
My husband and I moved to Arizona from Illinois two years ago. Our first months here were like a vacation. Even though we had been here many times, we were still learning our way around, what places there were to see, and restaurants to try. One day, we felt like Mexican food and decided to try a place called Sol Mexican Cucina. I remember the tacos being some of the best we ever had, and they were served with a side of this quinoa salad that had cranberries and pepitas in it. The salad was so different, and so refreshing, that I said to my husband, "I bet I could make this at home." I made a note in my phone of all the ingredients that were in the salad. A couple of weeks later, we enjoyed my homemade version alongside some grilled chicken.
The method that I used to recreate this delicious salad was taken from another quinoa salad recipe from pastry chef and James Beard Award recipient Gale Gand. The quinoa recipe is one that I made all summer in the farmer's market kitchen at Elawa Farms in Lake Forest, Illinois, where I volunteered in the kitchen alongside another great pastry chef, Mary McMahon. You cook the quinoa in apple juice, and it gives it a nice, subtle flavor, as opposed to just cooking in water. The results are perfect for this version.
The combination of flavors in this are light and refreshing. I served this with my Cuban-Style Pork Tenderloin and will go with chicken or steak too. I hope you try this easy, healthy, summery salad.
Until next time, friends. XO!
Quinoa Cranberry Salad with Pepitas
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed with water in a mesh colander
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup of apple juice
1 cup diced red pepper
1 cup diced red onion
1/3 roasted, unsalted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 chopped cilantro, or to your taste
Kosher Salt to taste
Method
In a small pot, add 1 cup of water, 1 1/2 cups of apple juice, and 1 cup of the rinsed quinoa, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook quinoa for about 12 to 14 minutes. Drain quinoa in a mesh colander, over a bowl to catch the liquid. Once drained, refrigerate quinoa until cold. You can make this a day in advance. Otherwise, if you want to make this right away, put the drained quinoa in a metal bowl and put it in the freezer for a quick chill. This will take about 20 minutes.
Once the quinoa is chilled, combine with diced red pepper, red onions, cranberries, cilantro, and pepitas. Add one tablespoon olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lime and mix well. Season with Kosher salt to your taste.
