Quinoa and Apple Salad

I am a fan of quinoa, I'm a big fan of popped quinoa, mostly because I can buy it like that and I don't need to cook it. This recipe makes a massive number of servings, which is great when you're going to lunch with 20 people not so great when you're cooking at home for two people... 

So easy and so delicious

Quinoa and Apple Salad
Serves: 20 (as a side dish)
Prep Time: 5-10 mins Cook Time: 0

100g Popped Quinoa
1 cup almonds (roughly chopped)
2 green apples (diced into 1/2 inch cubes)
Lemon/Lime juice
1 cup dried cranberries
Parsley leaves
100g blue cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
2tbsp balsamic vinegar

1.   Core both apples, and cut into ½-inch cubes. Toss them immediately into a medium-sized bowl with the lemon juice and enough water to cover.

2.  In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

3.  Roughly chop the almonds then place them into a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often, until toasted.

4.   Transfer almonds to a large bowl along with the quinoa and cranberries. Pour the olive oil/balsamic vinegar over the top and give everything a good stir. Drain the apples and add them along with the cheese and parsley. Toss well. 

Feel free to adjust the ingredients according to what you like and obviously how many servings you need. I have reduced the amount of olive oil and balsamic that I used the first time, but still think I could get away with a bit less.

What else do you have at Thanksgiving besides
an apple pie made to look like a turkey

I actually made this for the first time back at Thanksgiving, but I wasn't really thinking straight that day... I blame that on being focussed on my turkappley pie... 

The salad was a big hit which was why I went for a repeat at Christmas, again it was really popular so I figured it was time to share.