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Bringing Home the Bakin'

“bake my cake and eat it, too”

April 22, 2014 Chopped

Earlier this year I suffered a cooking “accident” — doesn’t sound so unexpected, being that I’m an avid cook and baker.  However, I did not slice my finger while meticulously chopping vegetables, or burn myself while taking a delicious batch of cookies out of the oven; instead, I cut my hand open while trying to separate two frozen veggie burgers.  It was pretty disastrous, but I definitely learned my lesson about handling sharp knives (so much so, that I shied away from cutting anything for several weeks…).  Now that my hand is totally healed and I’ve regained confidence in the kitchen, I’m back to chopping.  This recipe provided a great opportunity to hone my knife skills, as there is a TON of chopping.  It sort of takes a while to make, if you’re a timid chopper like myself, but prep time aside, this salad is DELICIOUS and lasts for 4-5 days in the refrigerator (totally worth it…).  I follow the recipe pretty much to the letter, however I have experimented with adding chopped fresh jalapeno, and if you like a little kick, I DEFINITELY recommend that addition.   IMG_6497 Superfood Black Bean & Quinoa Salad Recipe – Elizabeth Rider Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry quinoa yields about 2 cups cooked)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (*I prefer to use less, closer to 1/3 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed, grated or finely chopped
  • Juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons) — DON’T SKIMP ON THIS
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained well
  • 1 red bell pepper, quarter inch chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 6 green onions, root removed, white and part of the greens chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 handful of cilantro, rough chopped (about 1/3 cup)

Directions: Prepare the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking, whisk the olive oil, cumin, garlic, lime, salt and cayenne (if using) together in the bottom of a large bowl to let the flavors marry while you chop the veggies. Rinse and drain the black beans, then chop the veggies; the key is to make the peppers and onions about the same size as the beans. Add the cooked quinoa, beans and veggies to the bowl and gently fold it all together with the dressing. The quinoa can be warm, room temp, or cold when you make the dish. Regardless, I suggest letting it chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together. It tastes best served room temperature or chilled. 

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