Grapefruit and Quinoa Salad

Some of my family like quinoa; some don't.  I was hoping that this salad from the folks at the Food Network would be a hit with my family.  And it was good.   I really liked this salad.  It made a terrific side to cold chicken slices.  However, I altered the recipe after making it the first time. 


I thought that the grapefruit flavor overpowered the other ingredients just a bit, so I decreased (by half) the amount of peel that I steeped in the dressing.  Perfect!  I can't wait to try this with another type of citrus.  I think orange would be great.  Some shrimp would make this a main dish meal.  E suggested that I add something for crunch next time; a bit of chopped cucumber maybe?  Mmmmm...good idea.

Here is my slightly-altered version of the original recipe.
*Make sure you do not get any white pith on the grapefruit peel.  It will make your dressing bitter.

Quinoa and Grapefruit Salad

1 medium grapefruit, 1/2 of  the peel removed and reserved

8 thin slices of fresh ginger

¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup of quinoa

1 ½ cups of chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons of honey

1/2 -1 small Serrano or Jalapeno chile, minced

2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Strip the peel (no pith) from ½ of the grapefruit. Warm the peel, ginger, and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to bubble, remove from the heat. Let the oil steep for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the oil.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa and drain. Put it in a saucepan with the water and the ½ teaspoon of salt. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Cool.

Segment the grapefruit over a bowl, reserving the juice. Put the segments into another bowl and chill. Whisk 3 tablespoons of the grapefruit juice with the vinegar, and the honey. Salt to taste. Gradually whisk in the oil to make an emulsion. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste.

Toss the quinoa with the dressing, cilantro, chilies, and scallion. Season again to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Linked to Around My Family Table