Recipe: Freekeh Fruit Salad with Pecans and Cinnamon Vinaigrette

This whole-grain and vegetable salad easily layers into a jar, for a single 2-cup serving. You can mix and match with grains, vegetables and dressings that you have on hand. And remember, grating ginger releases more juice and adds more flavor than chopping with a knife.

¼ cup freekeh, cooked
¼ cup red quinoa, cooked
¼ cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup fresh pineapple, diced
¼ cup canned mandarin orange sections, drained
1 tablespoon pecan halves, chopped and toasted
2 tablespoons cinnamon cider vinaigrette dressing (see recipe)

¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh gingerroot, grated
¼ cup olive-canola blend oil
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Cook freekeh and red quinoa according topackage directions, but overcook slightly, so they are tender when cold. Whisk together salad dressing ingredients and set aside. For each salad in a jar, arrange ingredients in the following order: freekeh, quinoa, blueberries, pineapple, oranges and pecans.
Nutritional information per 2-cup serving
400 calories

63 grams carbohydrates
15 grams total fat
0 milligrams cholesterol
104 milligrams sodium
10 grams fiber
-- Recipe from Morrison Healthcare, the food service provider for Upstate Medical University

Freekeh was created by accident nearly 2,000 years ago when a Middle Eastern village was attacked and its crop of young green wheat was set ablaze. Many folks would sulk over such misfortune, but the crafty villagers rubbed off the chaff, cooked it up and Eureka! Freekeh was created.
