Quinoa & Basmati Salad

I went to a potluck this evening. I needed to bring something I knew I could eat and would be kind of filling. I found a recipe in Simply Gluten Free magazine, but didn't have all the ingredients. So, I worked with what I had. This salad came out so great: sweet mixed with spicy and a bit of crunch.

I started off cooking the quinoa and basmati while making the dressing. Don't forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking or it will taste bitter. I mixed the EVOO, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg with a whisk.

Then I went out to my garden to pick some parsley and chives. I would have put in more parsley, but only had about 1/8 cup in my garden. After the grains were cooked, I mixed them with the salad dressing. Then I added the greens and Mommy's mix (yes, it was really labeled this. Don't we all save some favorites for ourselves? Or is that only me?). This mix of dried fruit and seeds added more sweetness and crunch to the salad. My mix has dried blueberries, cranberries and raisins, with sunflower seeds and pepitas.

After folding those in, I stuck it in the freezer, because I made it right before we were supposed to leave. (Why do I always do that?!?!) But truth be told, it was really good at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Basmati Salad

Salad:
3 cups water or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup basmati rice
2/3 cup dried fruit and seeds
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/8 cup chives

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 T honey
2 T lemon juice
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground nutmeg

Bring water or broth to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa and basmati. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and remove from the heat to cool. Once cool, add dried fruit, seeds, parsley and chives to the grains.

In a separate bowl, combine all the of the dressing ingredients and whisk well. Combine with salad.

Chill if not eating immediately.