Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon Salad (cooking.nytimes.com)

This easy chopped salad fits loads of texture and flavor onto a spoon by combining finely chopped raw broccoli with chewy dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, fluffy quinoa and chunks of sharp Cheddar cheese. The mixture is tossed in a punchy mustard vinaigrette that soaks into the florets, only getting better as it sits. Feel free to substitute the quinoa for any grain, like brown rice, farro or buckwheat groats, though the cook time may vary.

Rating: None

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 medium tart and crisp apple
• 4 ounces sharp Cheddar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 lb Chicken breast

Preparation steps

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil on high and season aggressively with salt. Add the quinoa, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; cook until plump and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve; rinse with cool water and drain well.
2. While the quinoa cooks, finely grate the zest of the lemon into a large bowl then cut the lemon in half. Add the olive oil, mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon; whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Peel the stem of the broccoli and trim off the dry end. Finely chop the entire broccoli and add to the dressing. Core the apple then finely chop the apple and the cheese; add to the broccoli and toss to combine.
4. Add the cooked quinoa, nuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as needed. Store, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

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