I've been a big fan of quinoa since I first heard about the super-grain a few years ago. Packed with fiber, protein and lots of nutrients, it's the perfect carb to add to any meal. As a vegetarian (yep, it's official...not eating fish anymore, and to be honest, it's actually been a lot easier than I thought it would be), quinoa is a staple in my almost-everyday diet (along with beans/legumes, tofu & tempeh), and I recently made what has now become one of my favorite meals - the Super Duper Quinoa Salad.
It was actually inspired by when I happened to catch a glimpse of the Biggest Loser on TV...and one of the winners made a delicious mango-quinoa salad. Well, I put the Katie-spin on it (adding a few extras), and made it a complete, healthy meal...not to mention, totally delicious!
Recipe:
Cook 1 cup quinoa
While quinoa is cooking, chop up the following (all organic, of course):
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 small red onion
1 mango (i actually defrosted frozen mango from TJ's and added)
Add:
1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup yellow sweet corn (i used frozen and let sit out to defrost)
Mix all ingredients listed above, including quinoa, in a big bowl.
Dressing:
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp super-good olive oil
half of a squeezed lemon (or lime)
Toss all ingredients together. Chill in fridge for at least an hour....and you should have enough to feed at least 4 people (or have lots of leftovers for yourself!)
