Spiced Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

I was browsing for some recipes other than green salads to show off some of the lettuce we're growing and I came across these quinoa lettuce cups from Aarti Sequeira. Though I changed the spices and dressing a bit, they were the inspiration for these delightfully sweet and incredibly healthy little wraps.

Total Time: about 30 minutes
Makes 8-10 wraps

Ingredients:

• 1 C quinoa, rinsed very well
• 1 1/2 C water
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch piece ginger root, minced
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey or agave nectar
• 2 tsps fig balsamic vinegar (or balsamic vinegar of choice)
• 1/4 C dried cranberries
• kosher salt, to taste 
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 8-10 large Bibb lettuce leaves 

Procedure:

In a medium sauce pan, add the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the quinoa is fluffy and the germ is starting to show, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and red pepper flakes and toast until fragrant. Add the onions and carrots, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable spice mixture to the quinoa and stir in the tamari, honey, vinegar, cranberries. Season with salt and black pepper to taste (I didn't end up needing to add any extra salt). Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves.