Quinoa Fruit Salad Recipe, Hearty, Feed-an-Army Superfood
Suggested Ingredients Are Just the Start, But DON'T Leave Out the Avocado!
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 to 6 oz nuts (almonds, pecans, pistachios, etc.), sliced, slivered, or chopped.
- 4 to 6 oz each of two or three of these: dried apricots, dates, craisins, or other favorite dried fruits, chopped to about 1/4
- 1 ripe but firm avocado, cut into small cubes.
- 1 to 2 stalks celery, chopped to about 1/4
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, add more if you need to. You'll know.
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, add more to taste, as needed.
Instructions and Tips (The Little, Important Things!)
- Tip: Toasting the quinoa and nuts in a frying pan is optional, but will add about 5 to 7 minutes to your total preparation-to-serve time.
- In a medium sauce pan, pour in orange juice and water. Add quinoa and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer till cooked (or until all the liquid is gone).
- In a large bowl, after quinoa has cooled but still warm, add the coconut oil and spices, then add the rest of the ingredients, stirring and folding gently. Add lemon juice last.
- Tip: If you're in a hurry, gently press (don't mash!) the cooked quinoa along the sides of the bowl and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. When you take it out, the quinoa will still be warm enough to liquify the coconut oil and absorb all the other flavors.
- Serve at room temperature. The cooler the temperature of the salad, the more likely the coconut oil will solidify.
Room Temperature—The Secret!
At cooler temperatures, this salad loses most of its flavor and vibrancy, and coconut oil usually solidifies in refrigeration. Serve at room temperature but refrigerate any leftovers. (The flavor intensifies a little by the next day.) When you're ready to serve again, set the salad out to warm to room temperature for about an hour or so. Resist any urge to warm it in the microwave. (No, no, no. Don't do it!) It will ruin the flavor because the intense heat actually changes the chemical structure of some of the ingredients.
TIPS: Lemon juice is hard to quantify for me in this recipe because I honestly don't measure it. I juice the lemon, and if it doesn't seem to have that bright bit of tang in just the right amount, I juice another and add it. You can overdo it, of course, but honestly, I think this is one of the most forgiving recipes ever. You can play with the amounts of spices as well, but you don't want to hide the flavors as much as you want to bring them together by complimenting them with the other ingredients.
If you really are in a hurry to serve, fill your sink with about 3 to 4 inches of very warm water and let the bowl of salad rest in the water until it's warmed.
Leftovers Are Lovely
As I mentioned above, the flavors blend and intensify by the second day. For this reason, recipes like this one are truly at their best second day instead of being served fresh the first day. Try it and see!
Honestly, this is such a great dinner party salad that you'll want to make it a day ahead so the flavors come together when you bring it with you the next day. You'll want to taste the salad once you have it done, of course, but you'll also want to taste it the next day after you set it out to warm for an hour or two before you bring it with you to your dinner engagement. You really will see what I mean!
I have found that storing leftovers in a glass bowl with lid or plastic wrap is better than storing it in a plastic container. I don't know why, and I can't explain it, but it seems to be true for this recipe. My experience is that leftovers of this recipe can be stored for up to three or four days, but after that, the textures and flavors begin to breakdown and lose their wonderful qualities.
Also, you won't want to freeze any leftovers. Freezing will completely change the texture to a mushy, far less favorable mess.
They'll Want to Know Where You Got This Recipe!
Be sure to remember to tell your friends and family the recipe is easy to find on hubpages. It's the quinoa salad that's cooked in orange juice with fruit and nuts!
© 2014 Daniel Carter
