Quinoa is a small but mighty grain with a crunchy texture and high protein level.
Quinoa is a seed from South America that is prepared and served like a grain. Combining the slightly crunchy quinoa with savory black beans creates a Latin-inspired, healthier salad alternative to refined pasta salads. To avoid gummy quinoa, the cooking magazine Gourmet recommends steaming the quinoa instead of boiling it.
Instructions
1. Fill the bowl halfway with water. Submerge the quinoa and rub the grains vigorously between your palms.
2. Drain the water and quinoa through a sieve and rinse. Return the quinoa to the bowl and add more water to cover the quinoa.
3. Repeat washing, draining and rinsing the quinoa four more times to remove the natural soapy exterior coating on the quinoa.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa to the water and boil it for 10 minutes to par-cook it and reduce the steaming time.
5. Drain the quinoa and water through a fine metal sieve.
6. Fill the bottom of the pot with at least 2 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Suspend the sieve full of quinoa on the edge of the pot over the boiling water without the water touching the sieve.
8. Cover the pot with a lid or dish towel. Fold up the ends of the dish towel to avoid the fabric catching fire on the stove burner.
9. Steam the quinoa for 10 minutes or until tender, fluffy and dry. Toss the quinoa with the black beans, corn kernels, red bell pepper, onion and green bell pepper.
10. Whisk together in a separate bowl the lime juice and cumin. Drizzle the olive oil into the juice while whisking to make the salad dressing.
11. Stir the dressing into the quinoa and vegetable mixture. Chill the salad to room temperature before serving.
Tags: bell pepper, black beans, boil over, boil over high, dish towel, high heat
