quinoa salad

i was a bit adventurous this evening and tried a new salad that I found on pinterest ((my new obsession)). the recipe originally comes from the gluten-free goddess blog, and i've seen a few more yummy recipes i would like to try. this is the first time i have tried  quinoa, and I must say, it was pretty delish while being on the healthier side. unfortunately, i didn't have parsley or pecans, which would have added a little something more to the dish, but the added apple instead was nice. enjoy! :)

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Spinach, and Chick Peas
in a Maple Vinaigrette

((photo & recipe cred: gluten-free goddess))

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa 
sea salt
2 good handfuls of organic baby spinach leaves, washed, drained
1 large ripe pear, washed, stemmed and cored, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chilled chick peas, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
a handful of pecans, pan toasted and salted to taste

maple vinaigrette dressing:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

instructions:

place the quinoa in a saucepan or a rice cooker. add 2 cups fresh water, and a pinch of sea salt. cover and cook on a low simmer until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender- roughly 20 minutes. fluff with a fork and dump it into a large salad bowl. 

add the baby spinach, pear, chick peas, and chopped parsley to the quinoa and fluff. 

whisk together the vinaigrette, pour it over the quinoa salad and toss gently to coat. season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. 

just before serving, add the toasted pecans and lightly combine. 

makes four main course servings, six side dish servings.