● Large pot for quinoa

● 2 mixing bowls

● Whisk

● Small baking sheet tray

Entree

Summer quinoa salad with stone fruit and spiced yogurt

Yield

4 servings

Prep/ Cook Time

1 hour

1 cup

White quinoa

½ cup

Red quinoa

1 each

Red bell pepper (medium diced)

1 tsp

Chinese five spice

2 cups

5% plain yogurt (Fage brand)

To taste

Kosher salt

½ cup

Finely chopped spanish onion

¼ cup

Finely chopped parsley

¼ cup

Finely chopped mint

1 cup

Crumbled queso fresco

3-4 each

Ripe peaches or apricots (sliced into wedges)

2 each

Lemons for zest and juice

To taste

Granulated sugar

3 TBSP

Apple Cider vinegar

1 tsp

honey

1 tsp

Dijon mustard

To taste

Avocado oil

● Start by preheating your oven to 300F and bring a large pot of unseasoned water to a boil

● We want to cook the quinoa like we cook pasta (large pot blanching)

● Once the water comes to a boil, add the red quinoa and cook for about 3 minutes – after the 3 minutes, add the white quinoa in with the red and cook for exactly 11 minutes

● Once the 11 minutes are up, strain the red and white quinoa into a colander and run cold water over the quinoa so it can cool

● Once cool, strain the water from the quinoa the best you can, and pour the quinoa onto a small baking tray (we want to over crowd the tray for this application)

● Next we need to place the quinoa into the oven for about 20 minutes

● After the 10 minute interval, mix the quinoa bringing the outsides in and insides out so it doesn’t dry unevenly.

● After you’ve done this step twice, mix the quinoa one last time and place in the fridge to cool for about an hour.

● Place the yogurt into a mixing bowl and add the 5 spice, a pinch of salt, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of sugar. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning

● Place the dijon, honey, zest and juice of one lemon, vinegar and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl

● While whisking, slowly drizzle ¾ cup of avocado oil into the vinegar mixture

● Once added, taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar or more vinegar if needed.

● Place the quinoa, herbs, spanish onion, red pepper, queso fresco, stone fruit, a pinch of salt and about half of the vinaigrette into a bowl and mix well

● Taste the salad and adjust it with more vin if needed

● Smear the yogurt on the bottom of a bowl and top with the fluffy quinoa salad.