QUINOA SALAD

Ingredients
For the Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Lemon Dressing (recipe follows), divided
1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cup baby spinach,chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Lemon dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

For the Quinoa

1.Dry roast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
2.Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.
3. Add apricots and the quinoa; continue cooking, stirring often, until the quinoa has dried out and turned light golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add water and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes.

5.Transfer the quinoa to a medium bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing. Let cool for 10 minutes.
6.Just before serving, add tomatoes and onion to the quinoa; toss to coat. Toss spinach with the remaining 1/3 cup dressing in a large bowl. Mound the quinoa salad on the spinach and sprinkle with almonds.

For the lemon dressing


1.Whisk everything in a small bowl until blended.
2.Slowly whisk in oil so that the dressing becomes smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.