Julia Child is reported to have said, "I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." For me, I was 30. While I have always loved food, cooking was something I feared, disliked, and avoided until motherhood compelled me to overcome my feelings and, in spite of myself, I found I began to enjoy trying new recipes, creating tasty meals, and sharing them with others. These are the adventures of my learning to love something that overwhelmed and intimidated me for far too long. I hope you will enjoy (and perhaps benefit from) the tales of a reluctant cook!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

New Recipe: Quinoa Citrus Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad, Courtesy of Jeanetteshealthyliving.com (originally posted May 4, 2014)


There are a handful of foods that I really don’t like but that I feel like I should. Grapefruit is one of them. Its bitter aftertaste really, really, really turns me off. However, probably because it’s so healthy, I keep trying it, hoping one of these days I’ll actually enjoy eating it. I love the scent, and I even love things like grapefruit flavored lip-balms. But the real thing has never been something I’ve enjoyed.
In yet another attempt to like this fruit, I tried this recipe, which includes grapefruit as an ingredient but doesn’t feature it. And I am VERY HAPPY to report that this recipe was a definite winner! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I even enjoyed the grapefruit part of it (miracles can happen, people).
Like the other quinoa recipes I’ve posted, this one could make a delicious side, lunch, or light dinner. Not only do the citrus flavors make it refreshing and the avocado makes it creamy, it’s also a very aesthetically-pleasing dish and is packed full of protein from the quinoa and beans.

This recipe comes courtesy of Jeanetteshealthyliving.com, and I HIGHLY recommend making this if you like quinoa and are craving something light, fresh, healthy, and cool. It’s definitely going into my regular rotation and I can tell it’s going to be a new favorite.
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Quinoa Citrus Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4-6

(Jeanette says a red bell pepper would be a nice addition too, though I skipped it)
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups quinoa, cooked
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (I just used a 15 oz can)
  • 1 fresh mango, flesh cut into cubes
  • 1 avocado, flesh cut into cubes (I used 2)
  • 1 grapefruit, segmented and cut up
  • 2 oranges, segmented and cut up
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon (I used the juice of a full lemon)
  • 1 scallion, minced (I used 2)
  • a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil (I added extra)
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey (I doubled this)
  • Sea salt, to taste
Directions:
  1. Toss all ingredients together and serve.

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