Quinoa with Carrots and Raisins

We tried quinoa for the first time last week. This recipe is from allrecipes.com.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced (I used 1/2 of an onion)
2 carrots, grated
1 1/4 cups raisins (I used about a cup)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups quinoa
3/4 cup chopped cilantro (I did not use cilantro)
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, carrots, raisins, and pumpkin pie spice until onion becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in quinoa and cilantro and allow to toast for a few minutes. Pour orange juice and water in and stir well, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then add walnuts. Fluff with a fork and serve.

I like this okay, but it probably won't be a regular at our house. The orange juice and raisins were kind of a strange combination with the onions. I look forward to using quinoa in other ways!

Pea and Cauliflower Salad

I was looking for a way to use a nice big head of organic cauliflower, so I found this recipe on allrecipes.com for Pea and Cauliflower Salad. I made a half recipe; I think making the whole recipe would be great for a BBQ or other gathering, but for our family half was enough.

3 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery (I didn't have any celery, but I added some thinly sliced carrots)
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used light sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cashew nuts

1. Mix the peas, cauliflower, olives, and celery together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the ranch dressing, yogurt, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Pour over pea mixture, and stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Sprinkle cashews on top just before serving.