Quinoa and the Easiest Appetizer Ever

New quinoa recipe from epicurious, very tasty and reasonably healthy. The recipe says to steam the quinoa but I got impatient so I just dumped it in the water and boiled. It turned out great. Also a very easy appetizer which was eaten very quickly at our NYE party(from Mark Bittman, NYTimes, 100 simple appetizers).

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Portable Caprese: Skewer a small ball of mozzarella, a grape tomato and a bit of basil leaf. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.

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quinoa and black bean salad

Gourmet | July 1994

Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish. ingredients 1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)* 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned 1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears) 3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves) 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander For dressing 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste 1/3 cup olive oil *available at specialty foods shops and natural foods stores preparation In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve.In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.Make dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Really tasty. The pickled Jalapenos add a lot to the dish, don't skip

Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.