Fruity Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa

1 1⁄2 cups water

1 small red onion, half minced and half sliced

1 pomegranate, seeded

2 oranges, segmented and membranes removed

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1⁄2 tsp schug*, or to taste

Dressing:

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp oil

1. Prepare the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients together in a cruet or jar. Mix well and set it aside.

2. To remove the bitter coating on the quinoa, rinse it very well in a colander. Let it drain until dry, or dry it on a towel.

3. Toast the quinoa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until it is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and bring it to a simmer; reduce the heat to low, cover and con- tinue to simmer until the quinoa has absorbed most of the water and is nearly tender, about 12 minutes. Spread the quinoa out in a rimmed baking sheet and set it aside until it is tender and cool, about 20 minutes.

4. Transfer the cooled quinoa to a large bowl and stir in the remaining salad ingredients.

5. Pour the dressing over the salad. Garnish with additional parsley, pome- granate seeds and orange segments, as desired.

* Schug is a hot pepper paste found in the re- frigerated section of most kosher supermarkets. Start with a small amount and add more if you’d like a little extra heat. If you can’t find schug, use a minced jalapeno pepper instead.