Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry, and Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Serves 8

Recipe from Gimmesomeoven.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a lovely wintery salad that will be welcomed at any gathering.  It would also make a yummy lunchbox addition.  It’s full of protein with the quinoa and the crunchy pecans.  It’s also got the nutritional goodness from the brussels sprouts.  It’s sweetened with a bit of orange juice and dried cranberries.  If you make quinoa in advance then this salad is a cinch to put together.  If you are pressed for time, you can forget about plumping the cranberries, but I think plumping them up is totally worth the little effort it takes.

Salad

1 cup dried cranberries

1 pound brussels sprouts, rinsed, and ends trimmed, then halved and very thinly sliced

2 cups cooked quinoa*

2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted**

Orange Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Orange Vinaigrette

Zest of one orange (optional)

¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste             

Preheat the oven to 400 F for toasting the pecans.  (See directions below.) While you are slicing the brussels sprouts, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Pour the dried cranberries into the boiling water.  Turn off the heat.  Allow the cranberries to plump up in the hot water for about 10 minutes.  Drain the cranberries and put them on a clean dry towel to absorb any excess water.  Now that they are plump and dry, they can go into to the salad.  Put the sliced brussels sprouts into a large bowl.  Add the cranberries, the quinoa, and the pecans.  Set aside.  Put all of the Orange Vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously until combined.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss until coated.  Serve.   By my calculations, one of eight servings equals about 332 calories.

*Here’s how to prepare quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”)

Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. (I usually prepare a batch and then use 2 cups for a meal and then I freeze 2 cups for another time.  Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.)

Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.

Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. (Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Try adding other spices aromatics during cooking as well: A clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, or a dash of black pepper.) Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness. You’ll know it’s done when it is tender and you see a little curled “tail” showing on each grain.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  (If using quinoa for a cold salad, allow the quinoa to come to room temperature after fluffing so that your salad doesn’t turn out mushy.)

**Here’s how to toast pecans:  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the pecans for about 6-8 minutes, until they smell delicious and are toasty brown and crisp.  Watch carefully so that they don’t burn.  Leave them whole or pour the toasted pecans onto a cutting board and chop away.