3 weeks ago    1 note    recipe  vegan  healthy  quinoa  corn  black beans  Mexican  red bell peppers  quinoa  Forks Over Knives  
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Quinoa, corn, black bean & red pepper salad: the recipe

Last week, I couldn’t believe how much junk The Man and I ate.  It was disgusting (at one point, I have to admit, we went to three different fast food places in one day!  AGGGGH!)  Then, last night, guilt-stricken, I watched the first part of an eye-opening documentary, “Forks Over Knives” (I’ll finish the rest tonight), which my meat-loving sister-in-law recommended.  She actually turned vegan after watching it.  It really did make a lot of sense, and I was inspired to include more plant-based foods into my diet.  

So today I made this beautiful and colorful quinoa salad.  Quinoa is a nutty grain from South America and its flavor really comes out in this dish.  The addition of black beans makes this a pretty complete meal, I would say.  I didn’t even miss the meat!  (Although it would be a nice side to some grilled chicken or carne asada!)  

Anyway, enjoy…and I hope you also get inspired to take care of yourselves and eat more healthfully.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
  2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
  3. Stir roasted red bell pepper and corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.