Serves 4 to 6
1 cup rinsed quinoa
2 cups water
Dressing:
1 lime
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
Salad:
2 medium Valencia or navel oranges
1 medium ripe tomato
5 to 6 sprigs cilantro
5 to 6 sprigs parsley
1 cup cooked black beans, or canned
1 small cucumber
1 bunch fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews
On your mark...
Place quinoa and water in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let the quinoa cool to room temperature. Set the cooked quinoa aside.
To make the dressing, squeeze the juice from the lime into a clean glass jar with a lid. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and sour cream. Close the lid, shake well, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Get set...
Wash and peel the oranges. Remove as much of the white outer skin as you can. Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Set the slices aside.
Wash the tomato; cut out the stem circle at the top and discard. Dice into small chunks and place in a large bowl.
Wash the cilantro and parsley, shake to remove excess water, and dry by rolling in paper towels coarsely chop.
Add the quinoa, black beans, cilantro, and chopped parsley to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Shake the dressing again and pour it over the ingredients in the bowl. Toss well to combine and set aside.
Wash, peel, and slice the cucumber into thin slices.
Serve!
Mound the tomato-quinoa combination in the center of the serving platter.
Arrange the orange slices and cucumbers around the edge of the platter.
Wash the fresh mint, shake to remove excess water, and dry by rolling in paper towels coarsely chop; remove leaves from steams and discard stems.
Garnish with mint leaves and cashews. Serve immediately.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Teen Cuisine by Matthew Locricchio.