Love for Food

I was super excited when I saw this recipe in my Cooking Light Magazine. This dish seemed to fit the bill of what I needed. Something to eat in the hot weather, a dish with protein, that would be easy to bring to work or the internship. I was a little skeptical about the dried apricots. I'm not a huge raisin fan. I chopped them up as finely as possible. The addition of the little bit of sweetness was a nice touch. I decided to add a can of tuna for that extra protein and filling power. I crumbed the tuna with my hands to make sure there were not any big clumps. I enjoyed this dish and plan on making it again. I also love how inexpensive it is. Hope you find it as pleasing as I did.

Ingredients: Serves Four (2/3 cup)
1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cups parsley leaves
1/2 cup thin sliced celery
1/2 cup thin sliced green onions
1/2 cups finely chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted toasted pumpkin seed kernels
1 can tuna* (optional)

Method:

• Bring water and quiona to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes till water is evaporated. Fluff with a fork. Add parsley, celery, onions and apricots.
• Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, and honey, salt, and pepper. Add to quinoa mixture and toss well. Top with seeds.