Tamara's Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Makes 8 cups

Quinoa Prep:

3 cups water

1-1/2 cups quinoa

Salad:

1-15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1-1/2 cups frozen corn (no need to thaw or cook)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large firm tomato, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 jalapeño peppers, minced

2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Zest & juice from 3 limes (about 5 tablespoons juice)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt (this is a course pickling salt)

1-1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

Quinoa cooks just like rice. Add quinoa to water, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over entire salad. Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have combined.

Tamara

Carol's Basic Ceviche

(Say-vee-chay, fresh seafood salsa)

I've made this so many times and tried many variations. Without the shrimp, and by adding a TBSP or 2 of diced jalapenos or chilies, it quickly becomes more like a Mexican Pico de Gallo Salsa. Without the cucumber, and by adding a clove or 2 of crushed garlic, a couple TBSP's of oil and some diced chilies, you get the Chilean Pebre. I even included my bruschetta spin off below. I usually double this recipe according to 1 cucumber.

½ cucumber, finely diced

¼ small onion, finely diced

2 – 3 small tomatoes (roma or vine tomatoes, bigger ones work too but you might have to scoop out the seedy parts), finely diced

1 small fistful of cilantro, finely chopped

Juice from 1 lemon

Juice from 1 lime (or equal part vinegar)

Salt

Pepper (optional)

*baby shrimp or prawns, or seafood or choice

Add your chopped ingredients to a bowl. Add juices, *seafood and salt to taste. Serve as a condiment to grilled meats or as a fresh salsa with tortilla chips.

**for a quick Bruschetta, omit the cucumber and add 1 clove chopped garlic and 1 green onion thinly sliced. I still use cilantro (always on hand) but you could use the traditional herb Basil in this recipe. Serve on oven toasted bread, or top it on the bread with fresh parmesan and then toast it.