Quinoa with Dried Apricots and Baby Spinach + Moroccan-Spiced Dressing

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Our new love affair with quinoa began with this very dish. It has has become one of my favorite recipes, not just because it’s one of our very favorite to EAT but also because it’s one of the easiest to make. The Moroccan-spiced dressing’s sweet and lemony flavors harmonize all the different tastes and textures of the quinoa, apricots and spinach. Yum! (Serves 2-4 people)

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups baby spinach
Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons agave
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic with a dash of water and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.
3. Add the chopped apricots and salt, and then the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is very fluffy.
4. While waiting for the quinoa to “fluffifize”, make the Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing.
5. Divide the spinach among 4 plates (or 2 plates if you are big eaters like us). Mound the quinoa salad on the spinach and drizzle the dressing on top.

Raw Beet + Fennel Salad

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Ingredients:
1/2 pound beets, preferably Golden or Lutz Green Leaf
1/2 pound fennel
2 large shallots or 2 bunches green onion
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon sherry vinegar or other good strong vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
* note: When we eat this salad as a main course, I add a can of garbanzos. That gives the meal lots of protein and makes it very filling.
Instructions:
1. Peel the beets and shallots. Grate the beets and mince the shallots (or put them in a food processor and pulse till shredded). Scrape into a large bowl.
2. To prepare fennel: Trim the hard, hollow stalks from the top of the bulb and cut off the hard bottom. Shave the fennel very thinly and add to bowl.
3. Throw in the parsley. If including garbanzos, add them to the bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice and vinegar.  Pour over the salad and toss. Do a quick taste test, and serve!