Black Bean and Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

I have never taken off time during Spring Break, but this year I did and it was great!! I went home-home and had an awesome reunion with some women I grew up with, our kiddos and our mamas. It was wonderful - time filled with scooters, wading pools, lots and lots of rock throwing (my mom's driveway is pebbled and my son LOVES to throw rocks at her fence. It's awesome) and delicious food! While sitting around watching the babies play, one of the grammies got an All Recipes email and we all had to have the featured Black Bean and Quinoa Salad. The minute I got home I had to make it again... it's the taste of vacation!

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette - from All Recipes

For the Salad
1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
10 oz halved cherry tomatoes - about 2 cups
15 oz rinsed black beans - 1 can
5 green onions, chopped - about 1 cup
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced - about 3/4 cup
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper

First cook the quinoa. Boil the quinoa in the water, cover and turn down to a simmer. Simmer covered for 25 minutes, or until tender and the little "tails" are released from the grain.

Next chop tomatoes and green onion and drain beans. Add these to a large bowl. Chop the cilantro, and set it aside. 

When the quinoa is done cooking, spread it on a plate to help cool it. This salad is great served at room temperature, so no need to chill the quinoa, but if it's really hot, it will wilt the veggies.

While the quinoa cools, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper (I used about an 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper and just a dash of salt.)

 
Add the cooled quinoa to the veggies in the large bowl and stir to combine. Add in the cilantro and stir a bit more to combine. 

Eat at room temp, or chill and serve cold. Both are delicious and the left overs are wonderful! I think this vinaigrette would make a great marinade for lighter meats, or as a dressing for fish tacos.

Here are a couple of my other favorite quinoa salads...
Ginger Miso Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Tabbouleh

 

Crockpot Thai Chicken with Jicama and Mango Salad

I really like the woman who does my hair. We have great conversations about being moms, about how to keep it all together, how to stay sane (she's better at this than me) and we talk about food. All the while she does a lovely job on my hair! The last time I went in she mentioned this crockpot meal she loves, and I had to get the recipe! 

I made a few little tweaks in quantities, but mostly stuck the original. This came together really quickly - even for a crockpot meal. Just over 3 hours start to finish. We ate this with coconut rice, cucumber salad and a new jicama and mango salad I'd been working on. It was all delicious, warm, easy, and served 4 grown ups, with 3 extra little meals. 

Crockpot Thai Chicken - from MMM...Cafe
Serves 4-6
3 hours in the crockpot on low

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup hot salsa (the picture shows medium, but I used hot.)
1/4 cup peanut butter
Juice of 2 limes - about 1/4 cup 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
1 inch of fresh grated ginger
1 cup coconut milk - added later
Cilantro and Sriracha to serve

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. In a small bowl whisk together salsa through ginger. Pour salsa mixture ontop of chicken and set the crockpot to cook on low for three hours. Walk away and enjoy the day.

When chicken is cooked and easily shredded, add in 1 cup of coconut milk and let it warm for 20 minutes. 

Jicama and Mango Salad

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced jicama
1 mango thinly sliced (or if you're me, hacked apart - mango, why do you have to be so difficult??)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
1 serano chilli seeded and minced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Juice of 1 lime, about 2 tablespoons

Slice jicama, mango and red onion. Chop cilantro, serano and garlic. Mix together gently, trying to keep the jicama and mango from breaking up too much. Pour over lime juice and sesame oil. I let this rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving it. Just before serving, add the sesame seeds. It was tangy, delicious, a tad bit sweet, and super refreshing with the rich chicken and coconut rice.

A few things about this recipe...
The chicken was NOT spicy. I think hot salsa was perfect and then we added Sriracha to our tastes.
This is definitely in our rotation from now on! I want to be better at cooking ahead and this will be a great help!

Things made this time last year...
Banana Bread

Rhubarb Coffee Cake