Sunday Feast № 50 | Quinoa with Dried Cranberries and Pistachios

Quinoa is one of those ancient Latin grains that became very popular outside of its indigenous regions around mid-2000s and early 2010s, and around that time, funnily enough, I always ate it as a cool salad with fruits and vegetables that one would most likely not cook. Fast forward tiny bit past exactly mid-2010s, and yes I am super late to the party, I considered the season and locked onto this version, which in fact tastes better warm, and was a very welcome alternative to the cool, or cold to be exact. Serves 4 as stand alone lunch or 6 as a side dish. The recipe is from Muscle & Fitness magazine November 2014 issue and has been slightly changed by adding twice the dried cranberries and pistachios.

2 tsp + 2 tbsp olive oil 1 shallot finaly diced 1 cup uncooked quinoa 1½ cup chicken broth 4 tbsp lemon juice fresh ground black pepper salt ⅔ cup dried cranberries ⅔ cup dry roasted unsalted pistachios chopped 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped

Place 2 tsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 min, until softened. Add the quinoa and broth and bring toa boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer, without stirring, for 15 min or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Allow to cook for 10 min. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper, then add cranberries and pistachios. Toss gently to combine and garnish with parsley.