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Ensalada de Quinoa

Besides beans, Mexican Rice was another meal that was never missing in our home while growing up. Therefore, a quick meal on the go was always rice, beans, some pico de gallo, with avocado slices, and a lot of lime juice. It was full of flavor and full of vegetables, basically an amazing Mexican salad. Overall, our quick salad was healthy but as I grew up I found an amazing substitute to the not-so-healthy Mexican Rice: Quinoa.

Quinoa is a grain that originates from South America and over recent years its popularity has increased all over the world. I love to work with it as it’s a complete protein all by itself so it’s an easy way to include protein into any vegetarian meal. Not to mention that it is considered a superfood.

Today, I share with you my Ensalada de Quinoa recipe; an updated version of the Mexican Salads I grew up with. It’s extremely healthy as it has no oils or unhealthy dressing as most salads have. Not to mention that it is very easy to make.

I hope you enjoy it!

Approximately 2 servings

Ingredients For Salad:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked black beans*
1/3 chopped onion
1/3 chopped tomato
1/3 chopped avocado
1/3 chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
Juice of 2 limes

Ingredients To Cook Quinoa:
1 cup water
1/8 of a medium onion
2 garlic cloves

To cook the Quinoa
- Using a colander rinse the quinoa under cold water.
- In a small pot, add rinsed quinoa, 1/8 roughly chopped onion, and garlic cloves.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to lowest setting, and cover.
- Cook until all water has been dissolved (approximately 15 minutes) then turn off heat and leave covered for another 15 minutes.
- Using a fork fluff up the quinoa.

Salad
- Allow the cooked quinoa to cool off, then remove the pieces of cooked onion.
- In a large salad bowl add all the ingredients: black beans, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, cumin, black pepper, lime juice, and salt.
- Carefully, mix everything until well mixed.

That’s it! If you would like you can top the salad with a bit of crema agria. Also, to make the salad Tex-Mex you can add roasted corn. I love to eat my salad with flax seed corn chips or homemade corn tortillas. Which ever way you decide to eat it will be delicious.

Provecho!

*If you need help on how to cook dried beans visit my recipe here.

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Mexican Pasta Salad

It’s no surprise that when I first became vegetarian my entire family couldn’t understand it. The criticism, jokes, and sometimes even the ridicule that I was put under was something that, although difficult to understand, gave me a reason to continue further on this meatless path. However, it never really upset me.

What did upset me, quite a lot I must confess, was the fact that I could hardly ever find anything to eat at family gatherings. It was disrespectful to bring my own meal, yet their idea of providing a vegetarian meal was really bizarre. Basically, I was expected to either eat lettuce and tomatoes or to eat around the meat in dishes.

Now, I understand that one of the reasons why vegetarians are often left with no food options at gatherings is because people just don’t know what to make. So, I have created an easy and fool proof recipe that anyone, vegetarian or non-vegetarians alike, can make and enjoy: Mexican Pasta Salad.

Pasta salad is prepared in so many ways, by so many cultures, and for all types of gatherings. From picnics at a park to more intimate events, pasta salad is somewhere to be found. What I love the most about this recipe is that it can be served as a side dish AND it’s a complete meal all by itself.

Please stop starving your vegetarian friends and go make this pasta salad for your next gathering. Your vegetarian friends will thank you and everybody will enjoy!

Serves approximately 4 people

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked brown rice fusilli pasta
1 large avocado, cubed
1 large vine ripe tomato, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1/3 cup mayo (vegan mayo for vegan)
1/3 cup cilantro
The juice of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup baked tofu (optional), cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

- Cook the pasta as directed, depending on what pasta you used.
- In a large bowl, add pasta, avocado, tomato, cucumber, and tofu.
- Using a food processor, add the onion and celery and pulse until you reach a very fine mince. Then add to pasta.
-In a food processor or blender, add mayo, cilantro, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until smooth.
- Mix all the pasta ingredients carefully then add dressing, salt, and pepper to taste.

As a side note, you can use any pasta you want but I like brown rice pasta as it is healthier for you. Also, baked tofu is easy to find at any health store (I love the flavor from Trader Joe’s). Otherwise, marinate it and bake it for about 40 minutes on a 350 degree oven. Moreover, you can substitute the tofu for ham if you are not vegetarian.

Provecho!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Habanero Lime Jicama and Manila Mango Salad

Summer to me is just so whimsical. I love the entire package that comes with it: the happy energy as you walk by the bistros, breathtaking sunsets, farmers market strolls, movies at the park, the way fireflies illuminate a dark Central Park walk… I could go on for days. Though, the best part to me is the fact that I have an excuse to eat salads all the time.

Since the official summer start is in tomorrow, I’m already getting started. Sorry, I couldn’t wait for the salads bonanza to begin. So here is a delicious Mexican, spicy, tart, sweet, and crunchy jicama salad with manila mangos.

Serves: approximately 4 people

Ingredients:
1 small jicama
1 manila mango
1 pomegranate
1/4 cup pink grapefruit wedges
1/2 habanero chile
3 mint leaves
1 red onion
1 lime
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
3 cups of microgreens

- Slice the red onion very thinly and place in a bowl with water for about 5 minutes. Then remove the water and add the juice of one lime plus a pinch of salt. Let it sit to pickle.
- Remove the skin of the jicama and mango. Then Julianne both.
- Remove pomegranate skin and drop all seeds into a bowl of water. This method will help the white little bits of skin on the seeds to separate and come to the surface.
- Cut the skin including the white part of the pomegranate. Now slice each wedge out from the transparent skin that separates them. You should end up with a complete wedge but only the meat of the grapefruit. Then thinly slice each wedge width wise.
- Super finely chop the habanero chile. Do not leave the seeds or veins.
- Finely chop the mint leaves.
- In a bowl mix the jicama, mango, pomegranate seeds, grapefruit, chopped habanero, chopped, mint, and salt. Now add ONLY the juice from the picked red onion. Let this sit for about 5 minutes.
- Serve salad over a bed of microgreens.

If you eat meat you will like this salad next to a steak. As for me, I love it just like this!

Provecho

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Ensalada de Frijol y Rábanos con Vinagreta de Jalapeño (Bean and Radish Salad with a Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette)

If you have followed my Instagram, you have probably read that for some bizarre reason I have been receiving Bon Appétit Magazines. I have never ordered them yet they keep appearing in my name. Regardless, I am extremely thankful for this! These magazines have been inspiring me.

One special recipe, of the April 2013 issue really spoke to me: White Bean and Radish Salad. It looked delicious yet I thought “how great would this be in a Mexican version with some nice heat.” So here is my Ensalada de Frijol y Rábanos con Vinagreta de Jalapeño

Yields: approximately 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups Mayocoba beans (no liquid)
3 radishes
3 scallions
1 jalapeño
1 clove of garlic
1/4 avocado
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon infused olive oil
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lime

- Cook Mayocoba beans as instructed on my previous post.

- Roast a jalapeño and garlic as desired on a pan, over open fire, broiler, grill, etc.

- Cut the radishes in half then slice thinly. Place in a bowl with cold water and about 1/4 teaspoon salt. This method will remove the spiciness from the radishes.

- Thinly slice your scallions.

- Remove the black skin from the jalapeños and garlic and place in food processor. Use half of the jalapeño for less heat.

- Add the olive oils to the food processor along with the salt, black pepper, avocado, and the juice of half a lime. Process until you acquire a very smooth consistency and everything is incorporated.

- In a bowl mix your beans, radishes, scallions, and chopped cilantro.

- When ready to eat add the lemon lime jalapeño vinagrete.

I love Mayocoba beans but if you would prefer to use other beans this recipe can still work. Try using white beans, even black beans. This will be a great new way to prepare your bean salad as a side dish for many entrees.

Provecho!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.