Quinoa, Apricot, and Nut Clusters

Shira Bocar shares recipes for nutritious but satisfying snacks. From Martha Stewart Living, October 2004 and wholeliving.com

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 20 clusters

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup  white quinoa
• 1 1⁄2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1⁄2 cup  shelled raw sunflower seeds
• 1⁄2 cup  shelled raw pistachios, chopped
• 1  cup  dried apricot, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2  large  eggs plus 1 large  egg whites, lightly beaten
•  vegetable-oil  cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve; drain.
3. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir quinoa; cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until most liquid is absorbed and quinoa is slightly undercooked, about 12 minutes; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, fluffing with a fork occasionally, until pale golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in a large bowl.
4. Spread oats on baking sheet; bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add oats to quinoa. Spread seeds on baking sheet; bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. Add to quinoa mixture; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
5. Toss nuts, apricots, sugar, and salt with quinoa mixture. Beat honey, oil, and vanilla into eggs; stir into quinoa mixture.
6. Line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment; lightly coat with cooking spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto sheet for each cluster; space 3 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4 inch thick.
7. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Store, loosely covered with foil, up to 2 days.