Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos Recipe

sweet potato and black bean tacos | pamela salzman

Serious question:  Is anything considered a taco if it all goes into a corn tortilla?  Because if that’s the case, I have eaten A LOT of tacos, some typical and others not so obvious.  And my son, even more than I have.  Have I ever told you my idea for a book about feeding picky children?  I would title it, “Finding Your Child’s Corn Tortilla.”  This is because my son, aka Mr. Picky, loves corn tortillas and is much more likely to eat something if it’s in or with a corn tortilla.  Eggs, steak, roasted carrots, whatever.  The kid is probably the foremost expert on cutting edge taco combinations.

sweet potato and black bean tacos | pamela salzman

I, on the other hand, love corn tortillas for the same reason I love food in bowls — I love bringing all my foods together in one complete bite.  I have been buying sprouted worn tortillas by Food For Life for many years.  Sprouted grains are more digestible and the nutrients more assimilable than non-sprouted.  The texture isn’t exactly like standard corn tortillas, but I prefer the cornier flavor.  But if I’m feeling like I need to eat a little more lightly, I will use a big lettuce leaf instead.  Although with this recipe, I have a hard time getting the sweet potatoes from the pan to my plate since I have been known to devour them straight from the baking sheet.  You can even roast these as written for a simple side dish with roasted chicken or fish or put an egg on top.

sweet potato and black bean tacos | pamela salzman

Sweet potatoes are loaded with caretenoids, fiber and Vitamin C.   I think they could be classified as a super food.  They’re much more nutrient-dense than regular potatoes.  And they pair swimmingly with protein-rich legumes, whether it’s black beans or lentils.  Here I just doctored up some cooked black beans with some tasty spices and lime juice to boost the flavor of the beans, but still kept everything quick and easy.  I personally love to add hot sauce and cilantro to this mixture and my husband likes to add cheese of some sort.  Avocado and/or radishes would also be great here.

sprouted corn tortillas

I originally taught this recipe a few years ago in my breakfast class as an alternative to typical breakfast fare.  In a few classes, I served it with scrambled eggs and lots of hot sauce.  A lot of my students have been telling me that they’ve been making breakfast for dinner lately and their kids love it.  Great idea!  In the same vein, why not make less complicated savory dishes for breakfast?

sweet potato and black bean tacos | pamela salzman

I still don’t have my super bowl menu planned out, but if I do a taco bar, I will for sure have a platter with these sweet potatoes and black beans side by side for a vegetarian option.  And I’ll stash away a little bit so I have some leftovers for a breakfast taco the next morning!

sweet potato and black bean tacos | pamela salzman

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Pamela
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large sweet potatoes or 2 large russet potatoes 1 ½ - 2 lbs, peeled (if desired) and cubed
  • ¼ cup unrefined coconut oil if using sweet potatoes or unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil (if using russet potatoes)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 ½ cups of cooked black beans or 2 14.5 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 sprouted corn tortillas or tortillas of your choice
  • accompaniments: sliced avocado fresh cilantro, hot sauce or salsa, shredded Monerey Jack or crumbled Cotija, fried egg, julienned radishes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Scrub, peel, and cube the potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
  • If using sweet potatoes, melt coconut oil and combine with salt, chipotle powder, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. If using russet potatoes, combine olive oil with same spices.
  • Toss the potatoes with oil-spice mixture.
  • Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender and crispy.
  • Meanwhile, place drained black beans into a saucepan. Combine with cumin, salt, and lime juice. Heat through.
  • Warm tortillas on both sides on a griddle or skillet over medium heat, until pliable, about 1 minute total. Keep warmed tortillas in a thin kitchen towel.
  • Serve potatoes and black beans with warmed tortillas and desired accompaniments.
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Black Bean and Beet Burger Recipe and Video

If you’re new here, I am OBSESSED with veggie burgers.  I have two posted on this website — a black bean and brown rice burger with smoky red pepper sauce and a chickpea burger.  Both are hearty, flavorful and delicious.  This black bean and beet burger might just be my favorite.  If you don’t like beets (and I know you’re out there,) I’m not sure if this will change your mind since you can definitely see the beets, but the burger tastes like more of the spices in the mix than anything else.  Check out my YouTube video here on how to roast beets.

These are great for Meatless Mondays and so perfect for back-to-school since you can make a batch and freeze them for an easy weeknight dinner.  I have pulled them straight from the freezer and cooked them frozen, just like you could with a store-bought one.  I love to eat a veggie burger on a bed of greens with a sauce or spread of some sort, cooked onions and avocado.  Of course the kids and my husband love eating them as a true burger on a bun with or without cheese.  My favorite buns are any of the sprouted Food For Life Baking ones, toasted.  The family is really into the “Million Dollar Buns” by Dave’s Killer Bread.  I wrote about Dave’s Killer Bread in one of my Friday Favorites.  Some of the varieties contain canola oil which I avoid like the plague (refined, pro-inflammatory, usually GMO, blech) and the buns contain canola oil so they’re a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of food.

Although I include all types of whole foods on this site, including animal products, I do think we should be eating a mostly plant-based, anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic diet.  These burgers fit the bill and still keep all the burger lovers in my house very happy, too.

Black Bean and Beet Veggie Burger Recipe and Video

Pamela
4.15 from 7 votes
Print Recipe
Servings 6 patties

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces beets steamed or roasted, and peeled (1 large or 2 small)
  • 3 cups black beans or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup cooked cold brown rice
  • ¼ cup dried figs diced small
  • ¼ cup oat flour
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons brown mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Unrefined coconut oil for cooking patties
  • Sprouted grain hamburger buns for serving (optional)
  • Accompaniments: grilled onions avocado, tomato, cheese, sprouts

Instructions
 

  • Quarter the beets and pulse along with 2 cups of the black beans in a food processor until roughly chopped.
  • Add beet-bean mixture to a large bowl, along with the next 13 ingredients (remaining black beans, brown rice, dried figs, oat flour, red onion, garlic, smoked paprika, brown mustard, ground cumin, ground coriander, thyme leaves, salt, pepper). Stir to combine, mashing the mixture together with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Using a half cup measure, form six patties. Cover them with parchment paper or plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
  • In a large skillet or on a griddle pan, heat an 1/8 inch of oil. Add the burgers and cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned and heated through, about 6 minutes. Serve with desired accompaniments.
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Black bean and pumpkin soup recipe

black bean and pumpkin soup | pamela salzman

Nothing is as comforting to me as a one-pot, hearty meal in a bowl.  I love substantial soups and stews, especially ones with beans or legumes.  I very often make soups on the weekend for lunch or for a Meatless Monday dinner.  They also make a fantastic school lunch for the kids the next day.  This black bean and pumpkin soup is P-E-R-F-E-C-T for a chilly fall day, especially on Halloween if you want to send everyone off with a filling, warm meal.  This is almost like a chili because of the beans and the small amount of cumin and oregano, but not quite as thick.  My favorite ingredient in here is the pureed pumpkin which gives the soup a little body.  So much nutrition in one bowl!

veggies prepped

This soup is a really easy one if you use canned pumpkin and canned beans.  I’m so glad more manufacturers are responding to our desire for BPA-free products.  There are more and more companies who are using cans without BPA.  That is particularly relevant to this recipe because I know you can find organic pumpkin puree in BPA-free packaging by a company called Farmer’s Market or by Pacific Foods and organic black beans in BPA-free cans by Eden organic.  A gentleman behind the customer service desk at Trader Joe’s told me they don’t use BPA in their cans, except canned tomatoes.  I haven’t verified this yet with the company, but I am excited if that’s the case!

cooked black beans

BPA-free pumpkin options

Also exciting is the fact that for the first time in a loooong time, I have Mr. Picky’s Halloween costume ready to go.  This never happens in our house quite this early, as in a week before Halloween.  Poor kid one year made a Batman costume the night before out of grey baseball pants and an cape from an old zombie costume of his sister’s.  This year he is going as a punk rocker complete with wig and (temporary) nose ring.  All of his costumes must involve eyeliner or face paint and this year will be no exception.  My girls are not trick-or-treating this year.  I think the novelty has worn off.  That and my husband said there will be no teenage children of his trick-or-treating without a costume.  I agree — way lame.

soup in progress

Ideally the girls will stay safe at home with a few friends and a pot of black bean and pumpkin soup on the stove and enough in their bellies that they only feel the need to eat a couple pieces of candy and not a basketful.  Believe me, I am not the party pooper you might think I am.  I know full well that on Halloween night, Mr. Picky will take all of his candy and hoard it behind the extra towels underneath his bathroom sink.  I leave them there without letting on that I know his little secret.  Until Valentine’s Day when I need to make room for the fresh loot.

Hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!  This Thursday is exactly four weeks before Thanksgiving.  You know what that means!

black bean and pumpkin soup | pamela salzman

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

Pamela
5 from 2 votes
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • a pinch or more of cayenne or to taste optional
  • 4 ½ cups cooked black beans or 3 15-ounce cans drained and rinsed (click here for how to cook beans from scratch)
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves and stems chopped
  • 1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree or 1 15-ounce can not pumpkin pie filling (click here for how to make pumpkin puree from scratch)
  • 2-3 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
  • a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable stock chicken stock or water

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, celery, cabbage, cumin, oregano and cayenne* and toss to coat with the oil, onions and garlic.  Sauté for a couple minutes or until the vegetables no longer look raw.
  • Add the beans, cilantro, pumpkin puree, salt and pepper and stock.  Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook partially covered until the vegetables are tender, about 18-20 minutes.  Taste for seasoning.

Notes

I have made this soup several different ways. If you want a little more heat, you can sauté a diced jalapeno pepper (do this in Step 1) and/or add a teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper (add this with the other spices.) If you want a little smokiness without the heat, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the other spices. You can also puree part of the soup for a thicker consistency. Lots of options!
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Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins Recipe

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

I know time flies when you’re having fun, but these days I think it flies because everything moves at warp speed, whether you’re having fun or not.  And sometimes I think it’s not very fun when life happens so quickly, especially when you’re eating good food!  Eating is one of my greatest pleasures in life.  Thankfully I get to do it several times a day, every day.  But very few things annoy me more than having to rush through a very delicious meal.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

That’s what I was thinking the other day when I made these stuffed sweet potato skins.  I enjoyed them so much that I didn’t want them to end.  Need help with your math homework?  No problem!  Come back in 20 minutes.  Ooops.  Forgot to call my mom back.  She can wait.  I have a sweet potato party on my plate and I’m not ready to leave.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

Cinco de Mayo, one of my favorite food holidays, is just around the corner.  I know.  It’s MAY in like 5 days!  I had no plans to include this recipe on the blog but I made it on a whim last week and I knew I had to share it with you.  Although I can say with 99% confidence that you will never find this recipe on the menu of any Mexican restaurant, so maybe it’s not Cinco de Mayo fiesta fare if you are having people over.  BUT, the flavors here are totally South of the border and it’s such a healthful and satisfying meatless meal, you should make it no matter what day it is.

Sauteed onions, jalapeño, spices and cilantro

If you are not a sweet potato fan (stop it!  really?), then maybe substitute a baked potato.  But sweet potatoes are sooooooo nutritious and I never feel like I need dessert afterwards.  They’re the perfect natural antidote to my sweet tooth.  The best part of this recipe is the contrast between the creamy sweet potato and the smoky corn and a hint of spice.  I made these about as spicy as my family would like them, but you can go as hot as you want.  Serve with a green salad or some grilled asparagus and you’re all set.  My girls and I loved them, and Mr. Picky ate half of one and said they were “okay.”  I think if I had let him eat it with corn tortilla chips, he would have finished the whole thing.

sweetpotato

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

For those of you like me, who very much like to either prep some or all of your meals in advance, it’s your lucky day.  You can make this entire thing ahead and bake it just before dinner until it’s nice and hot.  Or assemble different parts of this ahead, like baking the sweet potatoes or sauteing the onions.  The cheese on top is very optional.  I had mine without, as did Mr. Picky, and still loved it.  My daughters added extra on top of theirs and asked me to tell you that they don’t think the cheese is optional and that if they were writing the recipe, they would double the cheese.  Okay, girls.  Have it however way you want.  Just don’t rush me.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Pamela, adapted from Pinch of Yum
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels defrosted
  • 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 15-ounce can drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined olive oil coconut oil or unsalted butter
  • ½ of an onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno seeds removed and diced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder more if you like it spicy
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
  • ½ ripe avocado flesh scooped out
  • 6 Tablespoons shredded cheese such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack or dairy-free Daiya (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 45-60 minutes.
  • While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a medium heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Do not add anything else to the pan and do not stir so that the corn gets a little charred. Then toss a little and cook corn until browned and toasted on the outside. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the black beans to the corn.
  • You can use the same skillet to sauté the onion and jalapeno. Warm the oil in the skillet and sauté the onion and jalapeno until tender and translucent. Stir in the spices and salt and cook for 1 minute more. Add the cilantro to the pan and turn off the heat. Toss to combine the mixture and transfer to the bowl with the corn and beans.
  • Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Allow to cool slightly so you can cut them easily or use rubber gloves if you’re in a rush and you don’t want to burn your fingers. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop most of the flesh out and leave the skins intact. I like to leave a thin layer of sweet potato to help these stay together better. Transfer the scooped out sweet potato to a large bowl and leave the skins on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Add avocado to the sweet potato in the bowl and coarsely mash together, but don’t make a puree. Add the corn, bean and onion mixture to the mashed sweet potatoes and stir gently to combine.
  • Preheat the broiler in your oven and arrange the oven rack to the second level from the top. Scoop the filling into the skins. It might seem like you have too much, but you should use it all and make them nice and full. Sprinkle each with cheese if desired and broil for a couple minutes or until cheese is melted.

Notes

*If making this in advance, remove prepared sweet potato skins from the refrigerator and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
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Deer Valley-Style Turkey and Black Bean Chili Recipe

Are we having fun yet?!  Good, good.  I have been running around the house yesterday and today like a busy bee, very excited that the big day is almost here.  I’m taking a quick breather from the Thanksgiving marathon just to touch base and check-in with you all.  Hope everything is going according to plan and that you’re enjoying the process.  What I am not doing today, however, is sharing a Thanksgiving recipe on the day before Thanksgiving because I know you are all planners and that ship has sailed!

Instead, I thought I would give all you super organized and efficient people a great way to use up any leftover turkey you might have on Friday.  I always make turkey stock and a simple turkey vegetable soup the day after.  I have also given in to chicken pot pie or shepherd’s pie with turkey.  But I also think it’s nice to make something on Friday that tastes NOTHING like the dinner you just spent a month thinking about!  It’s actually one of my strategies for getting everyone excited to eat leftovers even the day after Thanksgiving.

This recipe is inspired by the fabulous chili at the Deer Valley ski resort in Utah.  I first skied Deer Valley in 1994 when my husband and I were engaged.  He and his family have been going to the resort since it first opened over 30 years ago.  It is a really special place and we are fortunate to be able to go there a couple times each year with the kids.  Although I enjoy skiing and Deer Valley is absolutely stunning, I’m not super gung-ho about getting out there early and making the most of my day on the slopes.  I’m really in it for the food.  My favorite part about skiing is building up a good appetite and rewarding myself with a nice hearty lunch.  I actually start thinking about this turkey chili when I sit down on the chair lift for the first run of the day!

Turkey chili is one of the few items that the resort serves every single day.  I happen to notice the the lunchrooms also serve a roast turkey plate every single day.  Hmmm, could it be the kitchen needed to find a way to use up yesterday’s roast turkey?  Hmmm….  Anyway, we all love this chili because it’s lighter than a beef chili and a totally different take on the typical red, tomato-based ones that are so common.  This one is lighter and tastes fresher, perhaps because of all the delicious vegetables.   Regardless, all the signature shops on the mountain and many of the local grocery stores sell the special seasoning packet and the dried black beans in addition to the recipe so you can make it at home.  For $7 or $8 plus the cost of the turkey, vegetables and stock, you can make this pot of deliciousness at home.   Hmmm….$8 for 1/2 pound of dried beans and a few dried spices.  It wasn’t long before I decided I need to figure out what the heck was in that seasoning packet!

I can’t say this turkey chili is exactly like Deer Valley’s, but it’s close enough and I’m not sure my kids have noticed.  For sure I use half the amount of butter than the recipe calls for and I omitted the leeks, which I think don’t make or break this chili.  I also don’t use canned creamed corn, because ugh — canned and creamed and sugar don’t go with corn — so instead I just make a little corn puree.  The only ingredient you may not have lying around is masa, which is ground dried corn that’s been treated with lime.  It’s what corn tortillas and tamales are made from.  I have to say, it does thicken up the chili and give it a fabulous Southwestern corn flavor.  It’s also not an expensive ingredient, so I say definitely go for it.

Alrighty, dear readers, that’s all the time I have today. I am elbow-deep in sweet potatoes and butternut squash and my kids are starting to bicker about who gets to pick the music we listen to while we work.  Ahhh, sounds like Thanksgiving!  Hoping you all have a lovely holiday.  xoxo

 

Deer Valley-Style Turkey and Black Bean Chili

Pamela
5 from 3 votes
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Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter you can use oil, but it won’t be as good -- vegans can use organic Earth Balance
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless turkey breast, cut into 1-inch cubes or cooked turkey, cubed -- vegetarians and vegans can add 5 cups of additional vegetables and beans
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery about 3 stalks
  • 1 sweet red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 jalapeno seeded (or leave seeds for extra heat) and finely diced (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
  • ¼ cup masa harina more if you like a thick chili
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne cut back if you don't like spicy
  • 2 Tablespoons maple sugar or natural cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt double if you’re using unsalted stock
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 ½ cups of chicken or turkey stock divided* -- vegans can use vegetable stock
  • 2 ¼ cups frozen sweet corn thawed (about 12 ounces)
  • 5 cups or 3 15-ounce ounce cans cooked black beans drained and rinsed

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a large pot. If using raw turkey, add half the turkey and sauté until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining turkey. If using cooked turkey, do not saute in butter, but add in step 3.
  • Add the onion, pepper, celery, jalapeno, and garlic to the pot and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the masa harina, spices, sugar, salt and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Return turkey and any accumulated juices back to the pot.
  • Add 4 cups stock, 1 cup corn and the beans to the pot. Take the remaining 1 ¼ cup of corn and puree with the remaining ½ cup stock in a food processor (a mini processor works too.) Add the pureed corn to the pot. Mix well and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 25 minutes. Serve with desired condiments (sour cream, cheese, minced onion, cilantro) or serve on top of a baked potato.

Notes

*If you only have stock in 32 oz. containers, no need to open a new one just for a 1/2 cup of stock. Puree corn in 1/2 cup water.
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Deer Valley-Style Turkey and Black Bean Chili | Pamela Salzman

Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe

Have you ever read a cookbook or food blog where an unbelievable, creative recipe was put together with “odds and ends” from the pantry or produce bin?  I am always in awe of people who can do that.  Those same people go grocery shopping without a list and simply buy what looks good and then create a meal around it.   I too can use bits of this or that and turn it into something fairly tasty, but it usually ends up as a frittata, Pantry Pasta, or some sort of fried rice dish.  Definitely enough to get an acceptable dinner on the table, but nothing that will win me any accolades.

 

One day a few years ago, I decided to try my hand at “throwing something together.”  I figured I had done this many a time at salad bars, I should be able to do this within the limitations of my own pantry and refrigerator.  Whereas I pride myself on keeping things simple,  on this particular day I got a little carried away.  It all started with some quinoa, corn and cilantro which sounded Southwestern to me.  Pretty soon I was dicing up red pepper, red onion and opening a can of black beans.  Just when I thought I was done, I spied a mango and that went into the mix, too. After squeezing in some lime juice, olive oil and cumin, I had myself one fresh and tasty salad that I could happily bring to a backyard barbeque or serve to guests, even that same day to my mother-in-law who is slightly skeptical of quinoa.

I’ve made this salad countless times since then and changed it up every time.  Red onion has been replaced with scallions or shallots.  Ripe avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds have found their way in on many an occasion.  When corn is crazy fresh and sweet, I just cut it off the cob raw and use it that way.  With Father’s Day coming up, I am thinking about including this on the menu, but I might just leave out the quinoa entirely since I made quinoa tabbouleh last year on Father’s Day.  Although my husband likes quinoa just fine, he doesn’t consider it very “manly.”  Please.  I keep trying to tell him how much protein it has — it’s like eating meat, but without the saturated fat and cholesterol.  But it’s his day and I aim to please!  So I think next weekend I’ll make this with extra corn and beans and thrown in some “manly” diced up grilled chicken.  Regardless, “creating” this salad was a good exercise for me in learning how to be flexible, but also gave me some confidence to use what I’ve got — in more ways than one.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 6 -8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 ½ cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed if canned (1 can)
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or cooked corn cut from 2 large ears
  • ¾ cup diced red pepper 1 small pepper or ½ large
  • ½ large red onion diced (soaked in ice water if you want to cut the harsh onion flavor)
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced (optional)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice about 1 ½ limes
  • 1/3 cup unrefined extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Rinse quinoa in a bowl with water or place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a saucepan and add a healthy pinch of sea salt and 1 ¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and place a kitchen towel over the pot. Place the lid over the towel and let sit covered for 5 -10 minutes.
  • Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl, fluff with a fork and cool slightly. Add beans, corn, red pepper, onion, (optional) jalapeno and cilantro. Sprinkle with cumin and sea salt.
  • In a small bowl combine lime juice and olive oil. Pour over salad and mix well. Taste for seasoning.

Notes

Options for substitutions/additions: Also delicious in this salad are sautéed zucchini, diced celery, diced fresh mango, sliced scallions, diced tomato or diced avocado.
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