Sorry for the delay today, friends. I’ve been having some Dreamhost publishing issues, and have been waiting to hit publish all day long!
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’m feeling extra inspired to make some festive holiday recipes this week. After you finish making your caramelized onion mashed potatoes, you might want to move on to this next recipe…
Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Quinoa
Ingredients: (serves 4)
- 1 cup dry red or white quinoa
- 1 medium apple, diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- salt to taste
To Prepare: I personally prefer to use red quinoa more than white because I think it’s a bit nuttier and chewier, but you are more than welcome to use whatever you prefer. Rinse the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer to make sure all the bitter residue is removed.
Add the quinoa, apple, and cinnamon stick to a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Pour the orange juice and water in, and stir to combine.
Cook covered for 20-25 minutes, or until the moisture is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. You might want to remove the lid in the last 5 minutes or so to cook the rest of the moisture out.
While you wait, sit on the kitchen floor and snap pictures of your dogs.
Moving right along… Remove the cinnamon stick, and add the dried cranberries and pepitas. (Ignore the big orange blob – in my first trial I used dried apricots too, but I found them to make the final dish too sweet.)
Add salt to taste, and serve as a delicious Thanksgiving side dish!
Quinoa is a great side dish for a group dinner, because its an excellent complete protein source for any non-meat-eating guests.
I love the sweetness of the apples and dried fruit along with the crunch of the pepitas – so delicious.
I have a bad habit of claiming that every season is my favorite, but I think fall might really be the one. Fall leaves, giant squash, comfort food – you can’t beat it.
And with that, it’s time to EAT.
Enjoy!
58 Comments so far
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Looks absolutely delicious!!!!
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Looks absolutely delicious!
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This looks so good! The cinnamon stick must give such a nice flavor :).
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This looks fantastic – and you must have taken these pictures earlier in the day because that lighting is far too gorgeous for 8 p.m.!!!
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 19th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Haha yep! And the I waited to publish it all day long – so frustrating! Glad it finally got fixed.
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Wow. This looks so good!
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This looks so good. I had a friend ask about Quinoa today and I will definitely be e-mailing her a link to this recipe!
I know you mentioned different trials. Just curious, but did you try it without the pumpkin seeds or is there a nut you would suggest substituting?
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I’ve been looking for something to bring to Thanksgiving dinner with my boyfriend’s family. I didn’t want to bring the traditional pumpkin pie because I know there will be many, many pies. This might just do it!
How large of a helping do you mean when you say “serves 4?” Just a scoop for a side dish? I will likely have to double the recipe.
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 19th, 2010 at 10:26 am
For a Thanksgiving table I would double it – even though I said 4 servings, that is for normal people. Casey and I ate the whole pot for lunch. :)
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What a creative meal! I love all the colors :)
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Beautiful! I featured red quinoa on my blog today too! I added this recipe to my Thanksgiving menu – I needed something light and refreshing that included cranberries. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much for this Emily. A side dish without pumpkin!!
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I’m going to bring a quinoa dish for my family’s Thanksgiving meal next week…planning to make a savory one but this looks so good – I might have to make both!
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i love red quinoa, it’s a much nicer flavour
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I have never tried red quinoa but will have to start this weekend-with this recipe! Not only does it look like the perfect fall dish, but seems like it tastes amazing too :) Thanks for sharing.
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Man, they are way too many delicious looking holiday recipes up now, I don’t know which one to make first!
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This looks fabulous!! I was just literally thinking today that I needed to try and make a breakfast type quinoa! I just recently bought my first box of red quinoa so this perfect! Beautiful pics :)
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Weird, I know… but I have an aversion to the word pepita. It gives me the willies.
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I love how sleepy and comfy your doggies look!
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That looks great! What a perfect fall dish. I might have to add this to my thanksgiving menu :)
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This looks delicious! I may have to make this for Thanksgiving this year. Thanks!!
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Oooooo, this looks fun and delicious! Cute dogs
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This looks too good to be true! I am definitely making this one to take to Thanksgiving. My very traditional and southern (meat loving) family won’t know what hit them!! I think they will actually like it, and maybe I can introduce some of them to quinoa in the process!
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This looks great! :)
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This dish is stunning. Good job. :D
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Ahh, this looks awesome!! I’ve made breakfast quinoa a few times and actually it was my post this week on City Sports..too funny :)
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This looks mighty delicious!!!
Jen
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I also prefer the red quinoa. I’ve been eating mine with some warm sauteed cinnamon pears and walnuts. I love your combination!
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This looks beautiful. I’ve always been tempted to try sweet quinoa, but always forget…I’ll bet this would be delicious for breakfast as well!
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Mmm, amazing fall flavors here!! Looks delish.
xo
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1) that dish looks delicious!!!
2) the photo of Huey yawning is classic :)
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 19th, 2010 at 10:25 am
I don’t know why it makes me so happy when readers know which dog is which. Huey is a ham. :)
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This looks amazing! I’ve never prepared quinoa before but after looking at this recipe, I really want to try it! So good!
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I am with you- this is by far my favorite season. Love the veggies at this time, and your quinoa looks delicious!! I love red quinoa, just used it yesterday in a roasted veg soup :)
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Emily,
This looks great. I’m having a combined pre-Christmas meal on 12/19 with various dishes this will help balance out the non-vegan dishes for me. Keep the ideas coming. I made that vegan pumpkin pie got okay but needed more cinnamon and stevia.
Thanks you for all the ideas you give us.
Blessings,
Lancaster Co PA Gal
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Emily, your photos are always SO beautiful. I feel like I’m looking at a professional photo spread for Food Network magazine. Thanks for all the great recipes!
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 19th, 2010 at 10:24 am
I wish! :) Thank you so much. :)
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looking delicious and the dog-hungry!!:)
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That looks great! I think it will be gracing my table.
Is there any particular reason this wasn’t done in the rice cooker? Thanks to you, I now see the beauty of the Zoji and prefer to cook my rice and grain dishes in mine.
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 19th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Ha, that’s funny. The only reason I did NOT do it in the rice cooker was because I wanted to to appeal to all the non-rice cooker readers. To do it in the RC, just do the same thing and add the dried fruit and nuts in at the end! Much easier. :)
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marie Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Now THAT is funny! Thanks for letting me know, and I hope you’re having a good Sunday.
And Happy Birthday, Emily’s mom!!! ;-)
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Omg Emily. You seriously combined all of my favorite ingredients! I am so making this for Thaksgiving. Thank you!
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Looks delish! Your doggies crack me up! So precious! :)
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oh YUM!! okay, I need to incorporate this into my diet…quinoa just looks so cool!! I’ve only eaten it at restaurants….time for a change :)
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You have to rinse quinoa?! I had no idea! I’m trying to learn to love it, but I really can’t stand it…but I haven’t ever tried to rinse out the bitterness. You may have just changed my life ;) Thanks!
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I have never had red quinoa before, but I keep hearing about how great it is! It’s on my list of MUST TRY!
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this looks so great…and pretty, too
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Question: Can it be served cold? Or should it only be served warm? – It looks super yummy! Can’t wait to try it.
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Ashley Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 9:51 pm
I’m wondering the same thing and how much water? 1 1/4 cup or the full 2 cups? It might be making an appearance on Thanksgiving! Thanks for the recipe!
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
November 24th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Do 1.75 cups of liquid, since the apples will give off a good amount of water too. So 1 cup water, 3/4 cup orange juice.
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Ashley Reply:
November 30th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Thank you so much! I made this on Thanksgiving. My boyfriend, also Casey, was a little skeptical when I was telling him about it, but he ended up loving it! I also made the mashed potatoes, which he also loved and when he returned to his place, he went right out to pick up everything to make them himself. Thanks!
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I enjoyed the dog “side nite”. That dish looks awesome. Reminds me of something they would make on top chef to update a standard side dish!
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