Food for Thought: Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

You may remember that I threatened to post recipes for somewhat (or what I thought was) healthy foods that mere mortals and those of us that find ourselves culinary challenged (like yours truly) can make without too much difficulty.  Well, it may seem like I forgot, but I've actually been cooking (and taking pictures and cutting my finger) up a storm and have found a few recipes I thought I would share with my friends on the internets.

Today I bring you  Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa



2 tsp grated lime zest, grated peel        2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil                                             1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted & cooled            1 cup quinoa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced                       4 scallions, chopped
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, whisk lime zest and juice, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and butter.
2. Wash quinoa in cold water, drain and place in a medium pot of boiling water with 1 Tbsp of salt.
3. Cook with pot uncovered until almost tender (about 10 minutes).
4. Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water, but avoid touching each other.
5. Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry (about 10 minutes).
6. Remove pot from heat and remove lid; let stand, still covered with towel, for 5 minutes.
7. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Hope's Note:  I use pre-washed quinoa, so I just do steps 1, 3 (per package directions) and jump right to step 6 by letting it stand and then 7 and then 8 which is EAT IT!

YUMMO!
Great for lunches.  Eat it warmed or room temp.

Nutritional Info:

Per serving (Hope's Note:  maybe about 1 and 1/4 c ish?)

382 Calories, 12g fat (4g sat), 15mg cholesterol, 446mg sodium, 55g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 14g protein

source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Tomato-Quinoa-238939#ixzz1ld7UtGwx