Roasted Fennel and Quinoa Salad

 


Who:    rather peckish crew
What:   roasted fennel and quinoa salad
Where: rp kitchen
When:  december 2010
Why:    trying something a little healthier
Web:    you are already here







We believe that recipes don't always have to be followed precisely.  We prefer to use them as sources of culinary inspiration.  This salad was inspired by a recipe from The Living Kitchen Wellness Group.  


Ingredients

1 head of fennel
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1 cup roasted sweet potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, diced
1/3 bulb garlic
2 cups quinoa, cooked
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups white wine (for preparing quinoa)
4 spicy Italian sausages (optional)

Dressing
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the fennel into thin pieces.  Dice the red onion and cube the sweet potatoes.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and drive with olive oil.  Season with s & p and add whole garlic cloves.  Roast for 30 minutes.  Turn up the heat to 450 degrees and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden.  
2.  Prepare quinoa as per package directions.  We used white wine instead of water.
3.  While fennel is roasting, prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together.
4.  Slice the sausage and roast or fry until fully cooked.
5.  Soak the cranberries and blueberries in the dressing.  
6.  Toss all the ingredients together and add more dressing if desired.
7.  Season to taste.

 Modifications to try...

• instead of quinoa try rice, orzo, barley, or farro
• instead of dried cranberries and blueberries, try pomegranate
• instead of parsley try mint, cilantro, or basil
• instead of sweet potato try squash, zucchini, or turnips
• for a vegetarian version, omit the sausage