Quinoa with Pine Nuts and Dried Fruit
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 yellow pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried currants (I used dried blueberries)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted lightly

Cumin Lime Vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove, minced
Grated zest of 2 limes
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 bird’s eye chile, minced, seeds left for added heat
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Cook quinoa according to the instructions on the package. Allow to cool and come to room temperature. In the meantime, mix together the remaining salad ingredients, and make lime vinaigrette.

To make lime vinaigrette, first combine the garlic, zest, lime juice and shallot in a bowl and set aside. Toast the cumin and coriander together over medium heat. It should take about 5-7 minutes, or until the spices get more fragrant. Remove from heat and finely grind using a mortar and pestle. Add the spices to the lime juice mixture and add the chile pepper as well. Whisk in oil and lastly add chopped cilantro.

When quinoa is at room temperature, combine it with the salad ingredients and mix well to distribute all the components evenly. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.

Serve at room temperature.