Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Quinoa Salad with Black Bean and Mango

I haven't posted for a long time!  My little man has been keeping me busy, and now I have a new one one on the way.  I think I have convinced my mother and sister-in-law that they need to start posting here as well since I seem to have dropped the ball.  In the meantime I have been inspired to post a yummy summer salad from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  This recipe only takes 15 minutes if you have leftover quinoa.  The authors suggest serving over lettuce leaves but that is too fancy for me.  






Ingredients
1 mango, peeled and cut into small dice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup chopped scallions (I used chives instead and put in less than a cup)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I added more but didn't measure)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
lime juice to taste (my addition)
1-2 tablespoons agave (optional, my addition)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
2 cups black beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)


Directions
Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl.  Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, lime juice, agave, and salt, and stir to combine.  Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated.  Fold in the black beans.  You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavours to meld.  This tastes good chilled and is even better at room temperature.