Saturday was unusual.
I slept four hours later than normal.
I ate three apples between 11AM and 4PM.
I made this quinoa because I wanted a fourth apple — but not plain.
I stayed in my pajamas until 8PM. (Why did I finally get out of them?)
I drank a bottle of wine while watching the History Channel, all by myself.
I then spent about 45 minutes hunting the schedule for another JFK special to air.
Later, I watched my husband finish a half-gallon of fruit punch spiked with rum.
He had to use two Breathe Right strips that night because have you ever slept next to a chronic snorer after a few drinks? I might as well have slept on a runway for how loud it was.
While the wine-and-TV combo was the highlight of my day (history was my major when I started college…), lunch/dinner was a close second. Maybe it was because I’m obsessed with apples right now, or because I was genuinely starving, or because it was the only substantial thing I ate that day (unless you count cookies). Whatever the reason, it was delicious.
Last week in Sonoma, during one of our lunches, we were served an incredible quinoa salad dressed with a bright citrus vinaigrette. It was so good that I devoured it and kept craving it afterward. Saturday felt like the perfect day to recreate a quick quinoa bowl — partly because it reminded me of sitting on a terrace overlooking vineyards, and partly because I was at home while the rain poured outside, unshowered and refusing to turn on the heat.
At least I got the wine part right.
Combine that memory with honeycrisp apples I’ve been finding at the market, and I was in heaven. This time of year I wake up craving juicy apples — maybe from mild dehydration after too much wine, but who cares? They’re fantastic, and so was this salad.
Layered Autumn Quinoa Salad
Serves 4
2 cups spring greens
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 medium apples, chopped
1 pear, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Toss the cooked quinoa with tomato, red pepper, apple, pear, pomegranate seeds, red onion, cilantro, salt, and pepper. To serve, layer about 1/2 cup spring greens in a bowl, top with about 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture, and finish by drizzling the citrus vinaigrette over the top.
Citrus Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly until the dressing emulsifies and thickens. Drizzle over the quinoa salad.
I love fall.