Curry Citrus Quinoa Salad

This recipe is inspired by a scrumptious salad my friend and I always order at one of our favorite local restaurants. I made it for dinner tonight and my mother just RAVED about it! She loved guessing the ingredients - she said, "I taste orange! I taste cinnamon! I think I taste....coriander?" YES! Ha! It is a salad with many layers of flavor. Very tasty indeed!

I think I did a pretty good copy cat with the recipe below! Kim, what do you think?

Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 cups water
1 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt

Salad:
4 celery ribs  (I use the inner ribs, including the leaves), diced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, (stems removed) chopped
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 Tbl curry powder
Fresh spinach or chopped romaine

Dressing:
1/4 olive oil
2 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl fresh orange juice
1 Tbl honey
2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

To cook the quinoa: place dried quinoa, water, olive oil and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed (I always check after 10 minutes just to make sure). Remove from heat and let sit uncovered for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop the celery and parsley. Place them in a large bowl.

I always soak my currants or raisins before using- it is a good idea to plump them up! Fill a small microwave safe bowl with water and heat in the microwave for a minute and a half.  Carefully remove the hot water from the micro and add the currants to the water. Let them soak for five minutes and then drain the water from the bowl. Add the soaked, plump currants to the bowl with the celery and parsley.

Also while the quinoa is cooking make the dressing.  Put all the dressing ingredients in a Tupperware with a tight fitting lid. Shake well until all the ingredients are combined.

To assemble the salad put quinoa into the bowl with the celery, parsley & currants.  Add sliced almonds and 1 Tbl of curry powder. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

Place spinach or romaine on a plate.  Add quinoa mixture to the top. Drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!!!