Moroccan Three Grain Salad

I love whole grains! That should not come as a surprise to my regular readers, as I sometimes forget there are other food groups. Anyway, I love grains so much I decided to combine three of them into a yummy salad. Well, technically, quinoa is a seed - but for the purposes of this recipe I'm calling it a grain.

So, three grains and some tasty Moroccan seasoning and you've got a wonderful and FILLING side dish. This one is fiber central so a little will fill you up really fast.

I added some delicious dried apricots (thanks Caroline!) and pistachios. A intense mix of Moroccan seasonings gives the dish some kick without overpowering the nutty flavors of the grains. I deliberately kept the spices mild and used some lemon zest and juice to blend the flavors together. The result is a wonderful main or side dish that will last you a few days with ample leftovers.

Read more for the full recipe


Ingredients:
3 cups of water
1/2 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all spices
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in barley, return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low
4. Simmer barley for 15 minutes
5. Add quinoa and bulgur, cover and simmer for another 10-12 minutes
6. Remove grains from heat, stir in spice mix, lemon zest and lemon juice
7. Cool grains
8. Add chopped pistachios, apricots and parsley
9. Serve cool