Cranberry Quinoa Pilaf

Hello there! Yes I am still here even though I haven’t posted for most of January. January is my busiest month at work and now that it’s ending, I am starting to crawl out of my office and rejoin the rest of civilization.

Last night my family got together to celebrate my siblings’ birthdays this week. I am still on a dairy-free diet so I brought along an “Amy-friendly” dish to share. It was very easy to make so I thought I’d post about it.

Cranberry Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4-6 (if main dish, more if a side dish)

1 small onion, chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth or 2 cups water plus 2 tsp bouillon
1-2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a 2 quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook onion until soft. Add quinoa and salt and pepper and cook a couple minutes more, stirring to coat quinoa.

Pour in broth or water plus bouillon. Add chickpeas and cranberries. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until water is mostly absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, toast almonds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Toss with quinoa and serve.