Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese, Apricots & Cilantro

If fresh stone fruit is not in season, cover ready-to-eat dried apricots with boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes; then drain and chop.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1½ cups (9 ounces) white quinoa, rinsed and drained
2¼ cups boiling water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 to 8 apricots or 2 nectarines (about 8 ounces), pitted and diced
4 ounces fresh white goat cheese, in small chunks
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or mint, plus extra for garnish
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin and turmeric and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the quinoa and stir for a minute or two until you hear faint popping sounds. Add the boiling water and salt. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid evaporates and the germ ring shows like a white comma in the grains, about 15 minutes.

Spoon the quinoa into a large bowl and let cool. Gently stir in the apricots, goat cheese, cilantro and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and extra cilantro.

Nutritional Analysis:
Calories: 390, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Protein: 16 g, Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Sodium: 690 mg, Fiber: 6 g

Gluten-Free Living Food Editor Jackie Mallorca has over a dozen cookbooks to her credit. Her latest titles include The Wheat-Free Cook and Gluten-Free Italian.

Nutritional analysis for recipes is created using Food Processor SQL nutrition and fitness software by ESHA. Recipes are analyzed per serving (unless otherwise indicated) for calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Nutrient amounts are approximate due to variations in brands, manufacturer, preparation and ingredient substitutions. When ingredient choices are listed, we use the first one. Nonspecific amounts, for example "to taste," and garnishes are not included.

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