Quinoa salad with black beans, avocado, and cumin-lime dressing

Quinoa salad with black beans, avocado, and cumin-lime dressing

Christina is the one who found this salad--she brought it to trapeza a few weeks ago. I've never liked quinoa before, but I really love this salad! It's fresh and flavorful and very healthy. Quinoa is a "grain" (not technically a grain, actually) native to South America that is very high in protein and other important nutrients--it's actually a complete protein, which makes it wonderful for fasting! Here is the original post where Christina found the recipe: http://www.eating-for-england.com/quinoa-salad-beans-avocado/.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Avocado and Cumin-Lime Dressing

serves 4-6

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed (it's very small, so use a very fine mesh strainer)

1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 3/4 cup water

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic, minced

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

salt, to taste

1/2 red onion, diced, or a few green onions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

large handful cilantro, diced

1 avocado, chopped into chunks (2 avocados would be great)

tomatoes in bite-sized pieces—3 Romas, a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, etc.

Warm the olive/coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. To make the dressing, mix together the garlic, lime juice, cumin, olive oil, and salt.

When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through. Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then stir in the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir; adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm, room-temperature, or cold.

Leftovers are great—but it might be better to add the avocado and tomatoes at serving time.

Middle Eastern Barley, Lentil and Rice Pilaf

Recipe from Christina:

Middle Eastern Barley, Lentil and Rice Pilaf

I love the dried fruit in this recipe! It is quick, easy and satisfying. I sometimes add nuts for extra flavor and protein.

1 T oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t sugar
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 t dry mint
Pepper

Heat oil in a medium-large saucepan. When hot, add onions and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and sugar, then add 4 cups water. Add lentils and barley. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Add rice, apricots, raisins, and mint. Stir ingredients together, cover the pot again, and simmer 20 more minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed and it's tender. Season to taste with pepper.

Glazed Tofu with Bok Choy

recipe from Christina:

This is one of our favorite fasting dishes. It makes a hearty meal served over rice. I've found super firm tofu is the key to it turning out well. Original recipe from RealSimple magazine.

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1046900

Glazed Tofu with Bok Choy

1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 heads bok choy, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6
3 garlic cloves (1 thinly sliced, 2 minced)
1 14-ounce can vegetable broth
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons fish sauce or tamari
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Drain the tofu on paper towels. Heat half the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and sliced garlic; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth; simmer until reduced by half. Meanwhile, combine the minced garlic, ginger, fish and soy sauces, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Heat the remaining canola oil in another skillet over high heat. Add the tofu and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add the soy mixture and coat the tofu with it. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is syrupy, about 4 minutes. Stir the cornstarch into the reserved broth; add to the bok choy. Stir gently until thickened, about 2 minutes. Divide the bok choy onto 4 plates and layer the glazed tofu on top.

Barley, Black Bean and Avocado Salad

Recipe from Christina:

Barley, Black Bean and Avocado Salad

The recipe originally came from Reader's Digest - I know, what an unlikely place to find a recipe - but I am posting it with my adaptations. I always have adaptations and I never measure, so just tweak it to match your taste. This is very light and fresh, perfect on a warm spring day.

Combine the following in a small saucepan:
1 cup V8 juice
1 cup chicken bullion (vegetable to make vegan!)
crushed rosemary
pinch of salt
several dashes of hot sauce (I use Chipotle Tabasco)

Bring the liquid to a boil and add 1/2 a cup of barley. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the barley is tender (how long varies according to what type of barley you have, so keep an eye on it!)

Once the barley is cooked and cooled, add the following:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
chopped green onions
lots of cilantro
couple tablespoons of lemon juice
drizzle of olive oil

Stir it all together and serve either room-temperature or cold.