Red Quinoa Salad

I can hear people now going..."Red What?" "What in the hell?  I know...but it's a very flavorable salad..You should have an open mind and check it out..

Copped this recipe from a recent issue of Food & Wine. For this protein-rich, multi-textured salad, quinoa, and roasted brussels sprouts are tossed with a mustard-shallot vinaigrette. The salad gets a delicate sweetness from dried apricots and a nutty crunch from toasted almonds. It's perfect with roast chicken or stuffed into roasted squash halves.

So dig-

INGREDIENTS:

• pound(s) brussels sprouts, quartered
• 2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup(s) red quinoa
• 1/2 cup(s) (2 ounces) dried apricots
• 2 tablespoon(s) red wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon(s) agave nectar
• 3/4 cup(s) salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until tender and charred in spots; let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with 2 cups of water. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Spread the quinoa out on a plate and let cool completely.
3. In a heatproof bowl, cover the apricots with hot water and let soak until plumped, about 10 minutes. Drain the apricots and cut them into 1/4-inch dice.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar with the shallot, mustard, agave, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
5. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with the quinoa, apricots, and almonds. Add the vinaigrette and parsley and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serve alongside Roast Chicken-

with Red Wine-

Enjoy! Eat Well My Friends!