Warm Quinoa Salad w/Pine Nut Miso Topping

This would be my attempt at food styling.  Clearly not my forte...yet!

The pine nut miso sauce on warms this salad enough to be enjoyed in the cold weather!  And it got kudos from the omni, who I have slowly taken with me to the dark side.  His palette is beginning to appreciate the subtleties of clean cuisine (as opposed to "needing" fat and high protein dishes to satisfy).

It's Simple (whatever has no measurement, add how much you would want):

Start 1 cup quinoa.  In a separate saute pan, lightly saute 1/2 chopped onion and 2 carrots over medium heat for just 2-3 minutes until shiny but not too soft.  Then add salt and pepper, a handful of cranberries and half of your green leafies (mine were a mixture of kale and chard, about four leaves) and half of your pine nuts.  Saute for another 3-5 minutes, stirring so everything is touched by the heat.   This preserves the crunchy freshness but also warms and softens it just enough.  Stir in chopped fresh parsley to taste. Add the remaining green leafies to the top, cover, turn off heat, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of water on low.  Add 2 tablespoons of miso paste, the remaining pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add 1 date, chopped.  Cook on very low, stirring constantly, for several minutes.  If the mixture is too watery, add more miso or a little flour and cook for a few additional minutes.  This is best served warm over the dish so I kept mine on low, watching to make sure it did not boil.

Add quinoa to veggies, cook over medium for a few minutes, stirring the flavors together.  Serve topped with miso sauce.  Garnish with fresh parsley and black pepper.