My love/hate relationship with Quinoa

Quinoa, a blessing and horror is disguise. This grain is amazing for you. One of the top 10 most nutritious foods. It's the ONLY grain that is a complete protein (like meat), it fills you up because of that and you can eat it for any meal. It's also great to take places or to make a salad for a party that you know you can eat. That being said, quinoa doesn't taste the best.... it has a nutty flavor. And it just gets kind of gross after a while. I'm in that stage right now. I made this huge amount of this quinoa salad for a potluck dinner I attended last week. I just finished the last bit tonight. I've had it for dinner or lunch over the last week. It's so good for me and fills me up without feeling grossly full. But arg, like I said love/hate.

That being said, this recipe was actually a really good one. The trick is an oil or vinegar as a dressing. Don't just eat it without a coating. Whole Foods makes the most amazing quinoa salads and that's their trick that I didn't do. But this salad is very good and has lots of veggies and protein!

Anyways, try it for yourself. You can also have it warm for breakfast. Kind of like oatmeal. With fruit, yogurt, milk, nuts and such.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked black beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse well
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced, OR 1 tsp garlic powder
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Dressing:
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
Pinch cayenne or chili powder

Directions

1. The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refridgerated
2. Soak the quinoa 1/2 hour in cold water
3. Rinse very thoroughly in water several times. For each rinse, pour off most of the water and finish draining through a large fine mesh strainer
4. Place in 2 qt pot with 1 1/2 c. water and 1/2 tsp salt
5. Bring to a boil, turn down to low, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes covered
7. Fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool
8. Sauté jalapeno, fresh garlic, in 2 Tbsp oil until garlic is browned, pepper and celery are softened
9. Add the green and red peppers and sauté briefly
10. Add the cumin and coriander, cook and stir 5 minutes
11. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
12. Gently combine sautéed veggies, tomatoes, black beans, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
13. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro and scallions, and serve warm or cover and chill

From Savvy Vegetarian