This Red Quinoa Salad is inspired by the Red Quinoa Salad I tried at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen…..well sort of.  I started out making the salad with most of the same ingredients such as, Red Quinoa, dried apricots, hazelnuts, apple, creamy cheese and then I got the idea to flavor the salad with Urfa Biber Red Pepper…..There is not a substitute for Urfa Biber Red Pepper….It has a raisin kind of slightly smoked taste with very mild heat. It’s unique. I purchase Urfa Biber Red Pepper from the Asiana Market. It’s in the Middle Eastern Aisle. Then to make the salad more full flavored I then addd some Ras El Hanout also in the Middle Eastern Aisle.  I thought these were the perfect flavors with these ingredients. I also added some toasted black sesame seeds that go crazy well with Urfa Biber. To make the salad a little more interesting I added a little roasted till sweet cauliflower and finished the salad with a pinch of sumac. I think most people would enjoy this salad. I think it’s actually better than the salad I tasted at Hell’s Kitchen but please don’t tell……I don’t what you know who to call me a F*** Face Donkey.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

2 cups water – (for boiling the quinoa)

1 teaspoon course sea salt – to boil quinoa

1 cup red quinoa – washed really well and drained (even if it’s marked washed – always wash quinoa really well)

1/2 cup dried apricots chopped

1 honey crisp apple – peeled and chopped

1/2 cup hazelnuts – lightly crushed and toasted ( about 5 minutes in a 350 degree F oven)

1 teaspoon ras el hanout – (you can buy this at Asiana Market in the Middle Eastern Aisle)

1 1/2 teaspoons urfa biber red pepper (same area as the ras el hanout)

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds – lightly toasted

4 oz creamy mld feta that’s not tangy or salty – crumbled – …(or substitute goat cheese)

1 cup cauliflower – roasted till sweet and crisp in small florets

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to roast cauliflower

fresh ground sea salt – to season cauliflower – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to season cauliflower – to taste

2 tablespoons celery leaves to garnish

4 pinches sumac to finish

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Get out a sheet pan and spread the cauliflower florets out. Drizzle them well with olive oil and let them go till browned crispy and sweet. I’d check them in 30 minutes but usually they need about 45 minutes…..They always seem to differ a little  or maybe it’s my oven. When the cauliflower is done apply fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring a pot of water to boil with the teaspoon of salt. Add quinoa reduce to simmer and cover loosely.

Check it after 15 minutes and add the apricots. Stir and recover. If it’s done shut off the heat and keep it going on the heat and check every five minutes and shut off when quinoa is done.

Add the apple, hazelnuts, urfa biber pepper, sesame seeds, ras el hanout

Mix and top with remaining ingredients,

Enjoy!