It's fall, and you know what that means—APPLES! I love berries, tomatoes, zucchini, I love everything about summer, but when the scarves and sweaters and boots come out of the closet, I find myself really jonesing for some fresh, delicious apples. I eye the produce displays carefully all during September, just waiting for the semi-local apples to appear. I pick up each apple and look at the sticker, sighing in disappointment if it's an apple from New Zealand or if it's a soft, wrinkly, last year's apple.
And then it happens. I walk into the grocery store, bags in hand, not knowing that today is the day—today is the day of happiness, today is the glorious day that the displays are full of "BC's New Crop" of apples.
I confess to you, on this glorious morning, faced with a plethora of apples, I find I have absolutely no moderation. I must have all the apples. I start filling produce bags with apples, all different kinds, and then lug them home, my arms dragging like a gorilla's. I eat them two at a time. I start making plans, delicious plans, about the fate of these crisp, fresh, delicious apples.
This is one such plan—a scrumptious salad with the tang of honey dijon and the protein hit of quinoa and chickpeas. It's so easy to throw together—I usually make the quinoa the night before—and it's absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Allow to cool completely.
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey.
Toss together quinoa, chickpeas, and julienned apple, along with the honey-dijon dressing.
Enjoy!
Want more quinoa recipes? Try my Fiesta Quinoa Salad, or my Zesty Zucchini Quinoa Bowl. Quinoa for breakfast? Yes, indeed! Try my Breakfast Quinoa for a protein-packed start to the day!
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