Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Tomato & Black Bean Quinoa

Have you tried Quinoa? (pronounced keen-wah). It is such a tasty treat. I have tried a few recipes lately with Quinoa and have fallen in love with its nutty flavor and crunchy, interesting texture.
Ok, so Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa:
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest, juice, oil, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper to make the dressing. 
Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
(or if you buy it bulk from a local market like I do, first rinse your quinoa, and then cook one cup quinoa in 2 cups salted water for about 20 minutes. The water should be absorbed, and the germ ring will be visible when it is done.- you'll know what I mean when you see it.)
Put your quinoa into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add beans, tomatoes, cilantro and onions and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum!
We ate this as a side dish to grilled pork chops for dinner last night, but I ate it on it's own for lunch today and it was perfect.