Sweet and Savory Quinoa Salad

It's definitely been a while since I fiddled around in my kitchen. It's shaping up to be a really busy semester. My time to play in the kitchen has definitely taken a hit. So, I've been eating lots of salad but who wants to see pictures of that, right?

Anyway, yesterday I hit up Costco. Apples weren't on my list (for once!), but they were on sale and I figured I would get through them...eventually. I also decided to go ahead and get a big bag of quinoa.


Looking at my stash of 20 apples and a 4 pound bag of quinoa got me a little nervous. This was such a bad idea. As I was trying to console myself, I remembered my friend Sapna telling me about a caramelized apple and dried cranberry quinoa salad she once tried at Whole Foods. I figured I should go ahead and recreate it, considering I had more than enough supplies.

Now, I never had this quinoa salad but it seemed like a good idea. I figured to go along with the sweet and savory theme to add in some sweet potato, caramelized onions, dates and some chopped walnuts for crunch. I dressed the entire salad in a lemon-agave vinaigrette. The result was fantastic. The quinoa salad was savory with a hint of sweetness. The caramelized apples were fantastic and the vinaigrette took it all to the next level.


Sweet and Savory Quinoa Salad


2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
6-7 medjool dates, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 1/4 tsp dried sage, divided
2 tbsp of Earth Balance or vegan butter
1 tbsp of agave nectar
pinch of cinnamon
olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Heat a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the cut onions and a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of dried sage. Sautee until caramelized, about 20 mins.




2. Heat another pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the cubed sweet potato, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 tsp of dried sage. Sautee until potato is cooked and golden brown.




3. Heat a pan and melt Earth Balance/ vegan butter. Add in chopped apples, pinch of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of dried sage. Cook until apples are tender and golden brown.



4. Zest and juice a lemon, add agave nectar, a pinch of salt, some pepper and 1/4 tsp of dried sage. While whisking, drizzle in at least 1/4 cup of olive oil. Whisk in more olive oil if desired.



5. Combine cooled quinoa, caramelized onions, caramelized apples, sauteed sweet potato, chopped walnuts, dates and dried cranberries. Add vinaigrette to taste and combine.




ENJOY!

I really enjoy this salad cold. If you try this warm, leave me a comment on how it was. Also, easiest and fastest way to cool quinoa? Stick it in the freezer and toss every 7-10 mins.

2 apples down, 18 more to go...