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I’ ve had plenty of versions of quinoa in the past, but this one takes the number one spot. The carrots added a sweet-sour note, the thinly sliced almonds a delicious crunch, and the quinoa married them together with its light and refreshing nature. Cannot praise this dish enough. I was inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit, and decided to come up with a version to be served hot instead of cold, but with similar flavors. If you are searching for a recipe to please vegetarians or a perfect side dish for pork, poultry, perhaps a thick slab of grilled salmon, look no further. This is perfect!
QUINOA WITH CIDER-GLAZED CARROTS AND ALMONDS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen, inspired by Bon Appetit)
1 cup quinoa, very well rinsed and drained
salt
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced at an angle
2 Tbsp apple cider
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Heat oven to 450°. Bring quinoa and 4 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa mixture to saucepan, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl; let cool.
Meanwhile, lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with oil (or cover it with parchment paper). Whisk cider and honey in a large bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Add carrots and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the almonds and cook over low heat until fragrant. Set aside, keeping it warm.
Whisk vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Add carrots and almonds to quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Drizzle the vinegar & lemon mixture and mix well tp combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning if needed.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: If you are new to cooking the seeds of Chenopodium quinoa, please remember to rinse them extensively. The seeds have a natural coating of saponins that taste very bitter. Processing the seeds for sale includes pre-washing, but you will notice that the water still foams slightly once you soak the seeds. A couple of years ago, I read somewhere that quinoa goes rancid very easily, so the advice given was to store it for no more than 6 months (or freeze it). I tried to find a source for this information, but now I find plenty of sites stating that it lasts for several years in the pantry. Oh, well. I guess one can always open the bag and do a sniff test.
Cooked quinoa freezes very well, so you can prepare a full bag and portion it in the freezer for later. I actually cooked it on a Saturday and made this recipe for our dinner on Tuesday. Pork tenderloin kebabs completed the meal, but the truth is we both raved about the quinoa a lot more. Bonus: we got our intake of carrots all taken care of! 😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Celebrate Wednesday: Heirloom Tomatoes Steal the Show
TWO YEARS AGO: Pain de Provence
THREE YEARS AGO: Golspie Loaf, from the Scottish Highlands
I’ve still not tasted quinoa but between the lemon juice and cider vinegar it’s sounds like you’ve got a bit of tang and then the sweetness of the apple cider and the agave nectar and the crunch of the almonds … a party in your mouth. 🙂 Carrots are one of the few veggies I agreed to eat as a kid and they’re still one of my favourites.
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Oh, you must cook some quinoa! It is really delicious.. if you love couscous, you’ll love quinoa but it won’t fill you up as much. So, you loved carrots as a kid? My Mom was not as lucky as yours – I hated every single veggie. Not sure what was wrong with me, but whatever was wrong, I fixed it. (at least in the food department… 🙂
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I am new to quinoa, only used it to make salads so far
This will be on the menu tomorrow 🙂 I love carrots and the combination of sweet and sour sounds too good to miss 🙂
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sweet and sour things are on my mind lately – and on my table too… something about contrasts I find very appealing.
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That is a beautiful picture. The recipe sounds good, I will check (my refrigerator!) for quinoa.
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Hope you try this, Cindy – I know you will love it!
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Quinoa and carrots are so nice together. And almonds!
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I just bought another bottle of almond butter – something I learned to love thanks to your blog, you know… 🙂 Almonds are delicious in this recipe, I think they added a lot to it.
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I’m a quinoa neophyte, Sally, and your tips are gratefully accepted. I love the idea of cider-glazed carrots and might try to make them by themselves, as well as with this quinoa. That photo is just too good not to give your recipe a try.
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So you’ve never cooked quinoa! Think about a couscous that went to a spa and lost some weight.. THAT”s quinoa and how good it makes you feel.. 🙂
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I love quinoa and both the cider and agave in it are very interesting touches to this dish. Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I thought so too, the agave and the cider turned a simple dish into something else… very very tasty….
Hope you give it a try, Denise!
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I have been eating a lot of quinoa lately, but I love the flavors here. I think the apple cider vinegar would add just the tang I’m looking for (I love sour right now!) Thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try!
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I am sure you will love this recipe! Hope you had a great weekend!
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Absolutely love quinoa and make it often: hence recipes like this to give it more varied taste sensations are certainly very welcome in my book 🙂 !
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I don’t make quinoa as often as I should, but you are right, variations are more than welcome! I am collecting a few recipes, pretty soon it will be warm enough to go for cold variations… right now I’m more in the mood for a warm side dish
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Yum. I had no idea that it goes rancid quickly. Good to know.
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Well, it may or may not – I am a bit puzzled by the conflicting info I find. To be safe, smell the quinoa when you are going to use it. Better safe than sorry, right?
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Oh yes, I’ve had the non-rinsed quinoa. Not so appetizing. Once I figured that out, I’ve enjoyed it much more. It’s in our rotation on salad night. 🙂 (I count it as a “salad.”)
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Would you like some soap with your dinner?
I think I’ll pass, thank you!…..
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That is exactly what it tastes like when it’s not rinsed! You nailed it. 🙂
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I’m loving your close-up photos Sally! Gorgeous flavors in this dish. I’ve never frozen cooked quinoa…what a revelation — I must give it a try!
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Kelly, believe it or not I’ve been taking pictures almost exclusively with my cell phone these days. Long, long story. New computer that is giving me a lot of headaches and a few troubles communicating with my camera.
You know what my problem is? not enough time to do everything I would like to do… (sigh)
but I have a lot of fun with the road, not necessarily the destination…. 😉
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Haha!! You talkin’ to me?! ;-). That’s why I generally only post once a week… NO time – humph!
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well, you develop all your recipes yourself, that is a completely different story altogether! With all the nutritional info, clearly each post takes you a lot more work than mine! I am in awe that you do it as often as you do, with the busy life you live. So there you go, be over proud of yourself! 😉
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I’m always looking for new quinoa inspiration and I totally love the sound of this! Cider-glazed carrots…yum!
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Those carrots could stand alone and shine… but of course, a little quinoa only makes them better! 🙂
The problem with carrots by themselves is that I never seem to make enough – a bit like mushrooms, they tend to shrink away or something
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Healthy and delicious! Cide-glazed carrots must taste wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
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They taste awesome… I thought maybe it would be too sweet, but not at all…
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I have never cooked with quinoa though I bought a bag to make something with, I think a flatbread recipe, so how would I know if they have ‘gone off’, ah the puzzles of the lost ingredients in the cupboard. What does it taste like, it looks so bitty somehow and little, I guess I should give it a spin, or maybe buy a fresh bag and make more of an effort as your recipe looks lovely!
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my replied showed as new comment. iPad blues… please see below. 😉
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so hard to explain its taste, I think one way to think of it is a taste similar to bulgur wheat, but with a much softer texture, more in the direction of couscous. but it has more bite than couscous.. gosh, now I am all confused…. 😉
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