Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

As the Labor Day picnics approach, the need may arise for a nutritional side dish that can be served at room temperature. Here is a delightful recipe for a Quinoa Black Bean Salad that I first encountered at the Naval Station Everett's Health & Fitness Fair held this past spring.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is an excellent grain to work with. Nutritionally dubbed a "supergrain," it is an ancient grain-like product which has a stellar nutritional profile, is easy on the stomach and is quick and simple to prepare. It is a mild flavored grain that absorbs the flavors of the ingredients around it. When preparing quinoa, it is very important to rinse the grains prior to cooking to remove their natural coating which has a soapy taste.

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, and unlike other grains, contains all 9 amino acids. Quinoa offers more iron than other grains and contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin, as well as other B vitamins. It is also a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese.

Since I first tasted this Quinoa Salad, I have been researching other Quinoa and Black Bean recipes and find that many of them contain varying amounts of the same ingredients. I adapted the recipe below from one found on The Food Network. Varying ingredient amounts are listed in this recipe, reflecting those variations in ingredients that I found in other recipes. Use these variations to customize this salad according to your own preferences.



Quinoa Black Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups Quinoa

1 to 2 cups canned black beans, rinsed

1 to 2 cups corn

1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped red, green or yellow pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped red or green onion

1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced (optional)

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander or cilantro

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

For the Dressing:

4 to 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil



Rinse the quinoa by placing it in a fine strainer. Hold it under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well. Bring 3 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the grains are translucent and the germ has spiraled out from each grain, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain quinoa, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool.



In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except those listed for the dressing. When the quinoa has cooled, add in the bean mixture. To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, salt, cumin and olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Store covered salad in refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before serving.



You can contact Victoria at Victoria@northcountyoutlook.com