Dr. John is focusing on quick healthy meals that your kids probably never tried but will enjoy once they get the chance. Part of the secret is using colorful, flavorful ingredients and letting your children participate in making these easy dishes.
Summer Quinoa Salad
serves 4 as a side, 2 as an entree
Jorge de la Torre, dean of culinary education, Johnson & Wales University, Denver Campus
• 1cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 scallions, light and white green part only, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricot
• ¼ cup pistachios
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1teaspoon honey
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• Salt-to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper-to taste
Directions
Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the quinoa until it has expanded fully, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Place the cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Add the scallions, raisins, cranberries, apricots, pistachios, orange zest, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and parsley. In a separate bowl, whisk in olive oil, honey, orange juice, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and dress the quinoa mixture. Toss salad and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and to let flavors develop. Serve as a side dish or use as a main entrée topped with grilled salmon or chicken.
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