Latin-Inspired Quinoa Salad

Quinoa has gained popularity rather rapidly thanks to its long list of health benefits. What I love most about this salad is that the colors are vibrant-each boasting it’s cancer preventative properties and it tastes delicious!

Preparing quinoa is one of the easiest things to do. Just bring to a boil, cover for 15 minutes, let it sit for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and you are done. Quinoa comes in white, red, and black varieties. I used black quinoa as it retains its shape/texture better than the lighter colors. This allows me to store overnight in the refrigerator and use my leftovers for lunch the following day.

As you know, I LOVE Avocados. You can easily dice by cutting through the fruit with a knife (but not through the skin).  Then take a spoon and gently slide it between the fruit and the skin to remove the pieces.

They say “You first eat with your eyes” and peppers offer us the opportunity to make our meal interesting. Why not make your plate look like art?

Related Posts: “Keepin It Real” Recipes

Latin-Inspired Quinoa Salad

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups cooked black beans (or 15 oz can)
1 ear organic corn (grilled and kernels cut from cob OR 16 oz bag frozen sweet corn kernels)
1/2 of any 2 diced (red, green, yellow, orange) peppers
1 avocado (diced)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon (juice)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt
* Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa with cool water until the water runs clear.
2. Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook covered for 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes covered; fluff with a fork.
5. Mix the quinoa, black beans, corn, peppers, scallions and avocado in a large bowl
6. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, sea salt, pepper in a small bowl.
7. Toss salad in the dressing.

* Get Creative:
• You can add diced mangoes, red onions or chopped cilantro. Choose one, choose all… that’s up to you.
• You can substitute quinoa for brown rice or whole grain pasta, tortillas, or a bed of dark leafy greens

Posted by Eileen

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