Quinoa with Black Beans and Tomatoes

A Very Tasty Quinoa Dish

I'm having a somewhat disjointed day as I'd planned on cleaning my condo but find myself utterly not in the mood.  My husband and I spent most of yesterday and last night celebrating 41 years of being together, and now it's back to reality.  First World Problem, so  I'll move on.  Writing in this blog always seems to center me.

Quinoa is a very healthful and nutritious grain that is also quick to make (my bag of quinoa specifies 12 minutes of cooking and 8 minutes of sitting, off heat, covered).  I adapted this recipe from Fast & Fresh by Marie Simmons, but recipes similar to this one are all over the internet, and I borrowed ideas from some of them too.  It's so tasty and totally good for you - though the oil could be cut down if you are on an ultra low fat diet.  It makes a fine dinner but also a super lunch.

            Quinoa with Black Beans and Tomatoes

Serves 2-3 as a main dish; a substantial side dish or lunch for 4

  

To make the dressing:

1 t grated lime zest*

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

3 T olive oil

1 t agave nectar

I-2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers – if you add the ribs and seeds of the peppers it will make it a lot hotter so be careful 

1 clove garlic, minced

½ t red pepper flakes, optional

Whisk all ingredients above in a small bowl.  Set aside.

To make the quinoa mixture:

1 cup quinoa

1 t ground cumin

½ red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions (both white and green parts)

1 carton black beans (or one can), rinsed and drained

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ - 1 chopped avocado

Rinse and drain quinoa; cook, with the teaspoon of cumin, according to package directions.  Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and allow to cool.  Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, black beans, and cilantro to the quinoa.  Add the dressing a little at a time – you may want to use only some of it, and you may want to add additional lime juice, but beware of making it “wet”.  Add salt to taste.  Serve with the chopped avocado on top of each portion or in a bowl as an optional topping.

* t = teaspoon; T = tablespoon        

I hope you enjoy this - be well!