Curried Quinoa

This recipe was given to me by our friend RickRick.  He found it in the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten's cookbook as Curried Couscous.  Her original recipe can be found by clicking this link ----> LINK.

I have modified it to suit our taste and made it a little healthier (and gluten free) by switching out the couscous for quinoa and omitting the butter and kicking up the spices a notch.  Depending on how creamy you want your salad you can use 1 or 2 cups of quinoa.  For these pictures I used 1 cup as I was running low on quinoa, but I normally use 2 and have a drier salad.

CURRIED QUINOA

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Quinoa ( or 1 cup for moister salad)
3 Cups water (or 1.5 cups for moister salad)

1-6 oz container of plain Yogurt (I use soy)
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Curry powder (I use 1 mild and 1 hot curry)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
Sprinkle of Salt to taste
       Optional - sprinkle of Fenugreek and Black Cardamom powders

1/2 Cup Carrots, sliced thin
1/3 Cup dried Cranberries
1/3 Cup Almonds, sliced or slivered
3 Green Onions, sliced thin - white and green parts
1/4 C Red Onion, diced small
1 - 15 oz can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring water and quinoa to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork and place in a medium mixing bowl to cool.

2.  In small bowl whisk together yogurt, olive oil, vinegar and spices and set aside.

(Bowl of goodies to add)

3.  I like to prepare all of the add-in goodies and put them in one bowl while I let the quinoa cook and cool a bit.

(Prior to adding yogurt mixture)

4.  Add the bowl of goodies to the quinoa and mix.  

5.  Add the yogurt mixture to the quinoa mixture and stir gently.  Mix well and enjoy.

     *  This recipe is very good chilled or slightly warm and also nice as leftovers the next day.  It is also tasty topped with a little Trader Joe's Jalapeno Hot Sauce for an extra kick.  

     *  For a variation we have also used lemon soy yogurt and it seems to marry well with the curry.

- Au Revoir

"  Preserve and treat food as you would your body, remembering that in time food will be your body." - B.W. Richardson   

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