How to Make Vegan Quinoa Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato, Apples, Dried Cranberries And Pine Nuts

Vegan Quinoa Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato, Apples, Dried Cranberries And Pine Nuts Ingredients and Procedures.

Appliances used: Samsung Microwave Oven, Rice Cooker and Cooking Stove

Ingredients: 

1 cup quinoa 

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 

3 Tbsp cider vinegar 

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided 

1/4 tsp kosher salt 

1/4 tsp fresh black pepper 

1 small red onion, thinly sliced 

1 Granny Smith apple, diced (do not peel) 

1 firm red apple, diced (do not peel) 

3/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup pine nuts 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Rinse and drain the quinoa, and place it in a rice cooker. Fill the cooker to the 1 cup mark, and set to cook. (Or, cook on the stovetop, according to package directions.) When the quinoa is cooked, turn off the cooker and allow the quinoa to steam, with the top closed, for 15 minutes. (Or, on stovetop, remove pot from the heat and set aside, covered, for 15 minutes.) Scrape the quinoa into a large mixing bowl, and let cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Place the diced sweet potato on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until just tender and starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven, and set aside. While the sweet potato is cooking, stir together the red onion with 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small frying pan. Cook over lowest heat for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is very soft and beginning to brown slightly. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, until the dressing emulsifies (thickens). Toss in the quinoa, sweet potato, onion, diced apple and cranberries. In the same frying pan in which you cooked the onion, toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, until the nuts begin to brown. Add those to the mixing bowl, and gently toss to bring all of the ingredients together. Serve warm or at room temperature.