Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

1 Cup Quinoa
1-1/2 Cups cold water
2 Cups cooked black beans. If using canned beans, drain & rinse well
1/2 Cup chopped celery
optional: 1 carrot, peeled, halfed lengthwise, sliced thin diagonally
Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh yellow or green beans
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced or 1 Tbls minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 Tblsp chopped fresh cilantro or basil
1/4 Cup chopped scallions
Optional: 1 large ripe red tomato
Optional: 1/2 cup sliced olives

Dressing:
2 Tbls freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
pinch cayenne or chili powder

The Quinoa can be made up ahead of time & refrigerated. Soak the quinoa 10 -15 min in cold water. Rinse well in water several times. For each rinse, pour off most of the water & finish draining through a large fine mesh strainer. Place in a 2 qt pot with 1-1/2 c water & 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a full boil, cover tightly, turn down to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to sit for 5 minutes covered. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork & set aside to cool. Saute jalapeno, fresh garlic, in 2 Tbls oil until garlic is browned, pepper and celery are softened. Add the green & red peppers and saute briefly. Add the cumin & Coriander, cook and stir 5 minutes. Blend dressing ingredients with a wisk or shake in a jar (lime juice, olive oil, salt, fresh ground pepper & pinch of cayenne or chili powder). Gently combine sauteed veggies, tomatoes, black beans, quinoa & dressing in a large bowl. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro & scallions, serve warm or cover & chill.

Serving Size: Makes 6 1/2 cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MANDYD3910.