(Recipe can be found on the Iowa Girl Eats site here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
With just a few ingredients, you’re on your way to a delightful salad: Salt & Pepper, Extra-virgin Olive Oil, 1 Avocado, 2 ears of Sweet Corn (cooked and cut off of cob), 1 small Red Onion, Dried Cranberries, 1 Grapefruit (segmented and diced), 2 limes (the juice of 1 1/2 actually), Quinoa, 1can of Black Beans, and fresh Cilantro.
Begin by heating 1/2 cup of dry quinoa (that has been rinsed through a fine-mesh strainer) and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water. Once the quinoa comes to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook it for 15 minutes.
While the quinoa cooks, I rinsed and drained a can of black beans.
Next up, I very finely diced a red onion.
You know that I must really want to try a recipe when I deal with cilantro – smells a bit like a wet dog to me, but this herb definitely does do wonders in certain dishes.
Oh yeah, another reason I needed to make this dish was the fact that it contained dried cranberries – my favorite of the dried fruit variety. It calls for 1/4 of cup but I made the executive decision to use a smidge more than that. 😉
Then I juiced 1 1/2 limes – it was all I could do to not juice that last half, but I like to follow a recipe the first time I make it. Aside from fresh basil, fresh limes are the most delightful smell!
Salt, Pepper, and 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil then are added to the lime juice…
…and are whisked together. How easy was that dressing?!
After the quinoa sits off of the heat for 5 minutes, it gets fluffed with a fork and is ready to be used.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with quinoa, here’s a slightly closer view of the grain. It really is such a cool ingredient that works with so many great flavors!
Since avocados turn dark quickly, the final thing to do is cut up the avocado. I used a large spoon to remove it from the peel (after removing the large pit), and then cut it up.
Time to combine the salad. Spoon the quinoa into a large bowl.
Then add the black beans, avocados, corn, cilantro, dried cranberries, diced grapefruit, and red onions to the quinoa…
…and combine the ingredients. Then poor the dressing over the salad.
Then just stir everything up and dig in! The contrasting textures and flavors are fantastic! Definitely a keeper!! Hope you enjoy!
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons water
1/4 small red onion, minced
1 grapefruit, peeled & diced
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off cob
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
For the Lime Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 limes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
Preparation Instructions:
1. Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Add to a small saucepan with the water, then bring to a boil. Put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.
2. Combine red onion, grapefruit, black beans, cranberries, corn, avocado, cilantro and cooked quinoa into a large bowl. Toss with lime vinaigrette, sprinkle with additional salt & pepper to taste, then serve.
For Lime Vinaigrette:
1. Juice 1 1/2 limes into a small bowl, then whisk in extra virgin olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste.
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