Black-Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Posted at Foodie Friday

I don't normally cook Mexican food, I never really ate it when living in England and then when I lived in Texas and was pregnant I developed an aversion to it that never really went away. However I found this recipe in an old issue of Gourmet and thought I'd give it a try for something a little different from my usual fare!

Honestly we weren't disappointed, I've been extra lazy with the cooking lately so it was certainly a welcome change, a healthy one too. I served it with some Garlic Lime Chicken, but it would also go really well with steak or shrimp.

I'm really getting into food photography and styling, except I have very little nice kitchenware to style with. I need to get myself down to a vintage store/flea market and buy some styling items, perhaps later today. That seems funny doesn't it? To buy plates and things specifically for "arranging" food. I didn't know that being a food stylist was an actual job until fairly recently. I don't know if I could do it without being able to eat the food after.

Black-Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Heavily modified from Gourmet, July 2007

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• Juice from 1 lime
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (feel free to add more if you like)
  

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Drain and return to pot, removed from heat.

Add dressing to pot of drained quinoa and toss until combined. Stir in remaining ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Tastes great the next day, cold, with some chopped, cooked shrimp mixed in.

This totally lifted me out of my cooking rut, I have such a good meal plan now for next week that I'm excited about it. Yeah I know I can't have much excitement in my life if I'm excited about a meal plan! Here it is though,

Saturday Classic Beef Stew

Sunday Sausages with Potatoes and Cornichons

Monday Steak House Chili

Tuesday Shepherd's Pie

Wednesday Lasagna Style Baked Ziti

Thursday Steak and Potatoes

Friday French Onion Soup

On Sunday we're also having a coffee afternoon with some friends, I'm making Apple and Maple Bread Pudding. With all of this I'm going to have to start posting recipes more than once per week! Or perhaps I should just save them up for the weeks when I haven't cooked anything good. This was never supposed to be a food blog, but I'm totally getting into it, ah well.