Quinoa Pilaf With Strawberries - Recipe

Strawberries shine in a savory dish that also highlights spring veggies and herbs. This nutritious, unique combination is hearty enough for a meal and also makes a tasty side dish.

Ingredients
1 cup multi-colored quinoa
½ small yellow onion, finely diced
1 ½  cups chopped asparagus
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
3 cups baby spinach
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup chopped mint
1 Tbsp olive oil
Juice and Zest of two oranges
1 tsp agave
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Note: Regular quinoa works fine or you can mix regular quinoa and red quinoa

Preparation
1. The trick to quinoa is not to over cook it into mush. The nutty flavor comes out the most when it still has a bite to it.  Add 1 ½ cups water to a small pot with the quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 8 minutes, then add asparagus and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, agave, salt and pepper. Add the onion-asparagus mixture and quinoa to the bowl and toss with the dressing.
4. Finally add the strawberries, spinach and pine nuts and toss gently to combine.

More recipes from Jessica Cerra.

Jessica Cerra is the owner of Fit Food by Jess, a private chef and catering company in Encinitas, Calif.  She is also a professional Xterra triathlete and mountain biker. Follow Jess’ recipes on her “Fit Food by Jess” Facebook page.

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