Quinoa, Wild Rice Salad With Pomegranate



Last week we got some sunlight and I was in the mood of making something summery.  A colorful salad with the beautiful fall fruit pomegranate and lots of protein from Quinoa and fiber from black wild rice with the tangy and sweet apple cider vinaigrette was perfect for the bright day, even though the temperature was pretty low.



Pomegranates are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium.  It is also a good source of  dietary Fiber, Folate, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.  Choose a pomegranate that is heavy for its size.   The heavier the pomegranate, the juicier it will be.


If you are one among them who likes to stay away from pomegranate due to the trouble in separating the seeds out, you are missing a lot.   Here are the step by step instructions on how to separate the seeds easily.
  • Use an apron or wear old cloth when handling pomegranate, as they tend to stain clothes.
  • With a sharp knife cut 1/2 inch from the crown off.
  • Cut into 4 sections through the membranes.
  • Take a medium size bowl with cold water and try to push out and separate the seeds into the water.
  • Seeds will settle down in the bottom and the membrane will float in the water. 
  • Skim the membrane from the top and use a strainer to collect the seeds.
As Pomegranates are available during this season, I make use of these beautiful fruit in salads or serve as a after school snacks for kids.  Kids love to munch on these Ruby Red 'Crystals', that's what they call it.  My daughter loves to separate the seeds of the pomegranate without any mess.  Of course she likes to play in the water while she opens a pomegranate.

Serves - 2

Ingredients

1/2 cups - Spring Mix (half and half that has baby spinach too)
2 tbsp - chopped spring mix
1/4 cup - Pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup - toasted pecans and almonds pieces
1 cup - cooked Quinoa (cooked in broth or salted water)
1/2 cup - cooked black wild rice (cooked in salted water)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
2 tbsp - Extra Virgin olive oil
2 tbsp  - apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp - apple cider
1/2 tsp - lemon zest
1 tbsp - lemon juice
1 tsp - honey
pepper and salt to taste

Directions

  • Take a small glass bottle with lid and shake all ingredients for dressing until well-blended.
  • Toss the spring mix with little bit of salad dressing and arrange on the salad bowl.
  • Mix the quinoa, wild rice, chopped spring mix and pomegranate with the salad dressing and place on the spring mix layer.
  • Add  the toasted pecans and almonds before serving and enjoy.

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