It is time for our secret recipe club reveal this month and I have to tell you that I am really loving being part of this club. It is a great way to step outside your comfort zone and try something new that you may not have tried otherwise. You can check our my previous Secret recipe club posts here
This month I was assigned Sarah’s blog The pajama chef. I had fun going through her archives and ended bookmarking quite a few recipes. Roasted Chickpea, Carrot, & Radish Salad with Lemon-Dijon Dressing, orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry , apple Cinnamon Pancakes. The one I ended up making is her black bean and corn quinoa salad.
I have been curious about quinoa for quite some time. This ancient seed is rich in protein, fiber, Riboflavin (b 2), iron, magnesium, it is gluten free. I have tried cooking with quinoa and I have to say I was less than impressed with the results but it turns out I was cooking it the wrong way! After a bit of research I found that the best way to cook quinoa is the one summarised below
How to cook quinoa
How much liquid? You need 2 cups liquid per cup of quinoa
How much will 1 cup of dry quinoa yield when cooked? about 3 cups
How long does it take to cook quinoa? 1 cup quinoa will cook in about 20 minutes.
My quinoa is bitter, how can I make it less bitter? Nearly, if not all, of the natural bitterness of quinoa’s outer coating can be removed by a vigorous rinsing in a mesh strainer. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer(you want something with small holes or else the quinoa will go through it), and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing, and rinse for at least 2 minutes under the running water.
I modified Sarah’s recipe a little, cooking my quinoa in water instead of chicken stock, added tomatoes and I have to say that I am in love with this salad, made it twice in the same week and even the kids who are totally new to quinoa thought it was a yummy funky tabouleh 🙂
One year ago:Homemade strawberry syrup and a strawberry round up
Two years ago:Checkerboard cookies step by step
Quinoa salad with corn and black beans
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn
- Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and packed
Directions:
Rinse the quinoa well.
Cook it according to package instructions: add 2 cups water to 1 cup washed quinoa, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 18-20 minutes
In a large bowl, add beans, corn,tomatoes, cilantro,olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Stir together, then fold in quinoa.
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To check out what my fellow secret recipe club members in group A made, please click the blue frog
Chef in disguise 