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–+ servings
Blackberry Sunflower Seed Muffins
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Winter Citrus-Grain Salad

A fresh, bright salad for any time of year. The cook time is for preparing the quinoa. Be your own judge of how much ground sumac to add. Feel free to experiment with any other leftover grains you have, particularly couscous.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 -4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa black or red*
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • Juice of 2 medium lemons ¼-1/2 cup
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground sumac**
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds***
  • 1 large navel orange peeled and segmented, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 large grapefruit peeled and segmented, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 Granny Smith apple cored and diced
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups watercress or arugula

Instructions

  • Rinse quinoa with cold water, then drain. Bring stock to boil in a medium pan, add in the quinoa, then simmer 15 minutes or until soft. Drain water from quinoa and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust as necessary.
  • In a large bowl, add the quinoa, hemp seeds, citrus segments, apple, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas. Toss gently to distribute evenly. Add the watercress, then the dressing. Toss gently to combine.
  • Serve as is, or double the amount of greens (using a mix, baby spinach, baby kale, or another favorite) and/or a protein (like poached chicken or salmon) for a more filling meal.
  • This salad will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for one week.

Notes

*Black and red quinoa strains are heartier, so they stand up to storage in the dressing better than white quinoa.
**Don't forget to taste-test to determine your personal affinity for sumac in the dressing.
***Feel free to omit the hemp hearts if desired (I did).