Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday, December 1, 2008

keen on quinoa

this quinoa salad was nutritious and filling. the added bonus is that it was also delicious and easy to make. i'll tell you what i did, so you don't have to bother with extra nonsense of the real recipe.

the quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp salt

the others
1/2 or more of a hot pepper, minced
2 or more cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a green pepper, sliced or diced
1/2 of another color pepper, sliced or diced
1 tsp cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 or more handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 or more scallions, sliced

the dressing
2 tbsp lime juice, fresh
1/4 cup olive oil
a little cilantro (i use dried because i don't like cilantro)
salt & pepper to taste
a pinch of cayenne or chili powder

to make the quinoa
soak it in cold water for a while to remove the bitterness (1/2 hour was recommended, but who has that kind of time?). rinse it a few times and put it back in the pot. add 1 1/2 cups cold water and the salt. bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. when it is finished, set it aside to cool a bit.

the salad
saute the garlic and hot pepper in oil until the garlic browns a bit. then add the bell peppers and cumin. saute for a few minutes.
in a bowl, stir up the dressing ingredients. check the flavor for necessary adjusting.
mix everything in a large bowl, adding the quinoa last so you can get the amount that is right for you.

the eating
serve it hot or cold. it would probably make a great burrito stuffer, but we ate it with chips and salsa. feel free to try some guacamole or margaritas or something else exciting on the side as well.