Gingery Quinoa with Apples, Peas and Coconut

Day 37

Ok two mistakes...1. My Gingery Quinoa with Apples, Peas, and Coconut contains no "gingery". Somehow in a matter of two days, my ginger has disappeared. Little did I know when I was making this recipe, that a key component was missing. Mistake #2. My recipe contains no personal photo. Why? Because I gave a presentation this morning and brought my 5:00 a.m. creation with me for sampling. Sample they did. Photograph I did not. My apologies. It's a beautiful and colorful dish and very much resembles the photo I snatched from Vegetarian Times, the source of my recipe. Tomorrow I will double check that the recipe contains if nothing else, AT LEAST the ingredients in its title. Ok back on the horse. So you're going to want to make this recipe for a number of reasons, but it's absolutely packed with healthy ingredients, and unexpected ones I might add. Peas, carrot juice, coconut, quinoa, apples? Really? So for pure curiosity's sake, you've got to check it out. And for heaven's sake...don't forget the ginger. Let me know what you think about it since I wouldn't know :)

Recipe: Serves 6

1/3 cup chopped almonds (1 1/2 oz.)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups beet-carrot or carrot juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium apple, diced
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Toast almonds in saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to brown, stirring often. Cool.

2. Wipe out saucepan; add oil and onion. Sauté onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in ginger, quinoa, and juice, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

4. Remove from heat, and scatter peas over cooked quinoa. Cover, and let stand 10 minutes, until peas are thawed.

5. Stir apple, coconut, and almonds into salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 295, Protein: 9g, Total fat: 11g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 40g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 98mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 7g

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times