New and Healthy Thanksgiving Side Dish: Quinoa Recipe

Thanksgiving side dishes are often creamy, gooey and rich. And delicious! This Thanksgiving, consider including a lighter option to the standard Thanksgiving family favorites. A nutritious quinoa side dish will be a welcomed addition to your Thanksgiving dinner. Meat-eaters and Vegetarians will enjoy this hearty and healthy salad.

Quinoa is a staple in many vegetarian diets because of its high protein content. In fact, quinoa has all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein. Sometimes referred to as a 'super crop' or the 'mother grain,' quinoa is actually the seed of chenopodium quinoa, a plant that is related to spinach and chard. A real nutritional powerhouse, quinoa is also a good source of iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and the amino acid lysine. All that and it tastes great too! Quinoa's delicate flavor pairs well with dried fruit and nuts, thus making it a terrific Thanksgiving side dish choice.

With this basic recipe and accompanying tips, nutritious and versatile quinoa may quickly become a new Thanksgiving family favorite at your house. We love it.

Quinoa and Baby Lettuce Salad with Dried Apricots and Cashews
Serves 4

Salad Ingredients:

- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup red onion, finely diced and divided
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 2 cups fresh water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 cups baby lettuce, washed and completely dried
- 1/2 cup chopped cashews (or more, can you ever have too many nuts?)
- 2/3 cup dressing, divided (see recipe below)

Dressing Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (see tips and recipe link)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt to taste

Directions:

- To enhance quinoa's flavor, place in a medium sized dry skillet over low to medium heat, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes. The quinoa will begin to pop and crackle when it is properly toasted.
- Remove toasted quinoa from the skillet and place in a fine colander or sieve. Hold under running water, rinsing well. Set aside to drain.
- Measure olive oil into a saucepan and heat on medium setting. Add garlic and ¼ cup red onion and cook until golden brown. Add the toasted and rinsed quinoa to the garlic and onion and stir together well.
- Next add the chopped apricots and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the quinoa is completely dry and is beginning to turn a golden brown.
- Add fresh water and salt to the saucepan and turn heat up to high, bringing everything to a rolling boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
- Make the sauce by measuring the Greek yogurt and honey into a medium sized, wide mouth jar with lid and stir together. Add lemon juice, Garam Masala, and ground ginger to the yogurt and honey blend, place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Remove lid and slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking continuously until well blended and thickened. Add salt to taste.
- When quinoa is tender and still warm, transfer it to a medium sized bowl and dress with about half of the sauce. Let stand at room temperature.
- Right before the Thanksgiving meal, coat the baby lettuce with the remaining sauce and place into a decorative serving bowl. Toss the remaining raw, diced onion into the quinoa and apricot mixture and pile it on top of the greens. Generously sprinkle the salad with chopped cashews.

Tips and suggestions:

- Quinoa can be found in most health food or natural-food stores as well as in the natural-food section in many major supermarkets.
- If Garam Masala is unavailable replace it with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin and ¼ teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg. If making this substitution, add fresh black pepper to taste.
- Here is a Garam Masala recipe.
- In a pinch, I've substituted high quality bottled poppy seed dressing for the homemade dressing and had good results. Experiment with your favorite dressings.
- For large Thanksgiving gatherings, recipe can easily be doubled.
- Cooked and dressed quinoa can be stored in refrigerator for several days.
- Replace the apricots with cranberries and the cashews with walnuts for a change.
- Use your imagination. Once you become familiar with quinoa you will soon be creating your own recipes.

Source:
Personal experimentation
NPR Story - Quinoa: A Sacred, Super Crop

Similarities to other recipes are coincidental.