When I tell people about Thea's long list of food allergies, the question, "So, what DO you eat?" is usually soon to follow. Since I'm still nursing Thea, my diet also has to exclude her trigger foods. It's made mealtime a bit more challenging.
(In case you're wondering, the list of foods to avoid includes the following: beef, chicken, turkey, apples, coconut, pears, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, pecans, oats, rice, crab, fish, shrimp, milk, black pepper, lima beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, spinach, and sweet potato. In addition, we've also had to eliminate soy, and we're currently doing a challenge to see if she has outgrown the egg allergy she had when she was younger.).
One of our summer staples has been a yummy salad made with quinoa, black beans, corn, and cherry tomatoes. I usually whip up a batch each weekend and we eat it throughout the week.
quinoa salad with black beans, corn, and cherry tomatoes
Here's the recipe:
(or at least as much of a recipe as I can offer - except for the quinoa and broth, I really just whip this up without measuring much of anything)
1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)**
black beans to your liking (I usually use about 3/4 of a 15 oz can)
2 ears corn
cherry tomatoes to your liking (I love the yellow sungold tomatoes in this recipe, they are soo sweet and
yummy)
juice from 1 lime
couple tablespoons olive oil
1 TBS (or so) honey
Cook the quinoa (bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes
or so - until all the liquid is absorbed and the ring around the center of the grain is visible). Let the quinoa cool down before mixing everything
together. Cook the corn and then cut it off the cob. Mix the lime
juice, oil, and honey. Mix the quinoa, corn, and beans. Add the
dressing, mixing thoroughly. I mix in the tomatoes last so they don't
get too beaten up.
**Since celery and carrots must be avoided, I now make this just using water - a slightly different taste, but just as yummy.
So there you have it - I thought I better share the recipe while there are still tomatoes for sale at the farmer's market.
I absolutely love quinoa - and I have many more recipes to share using this super-healthy grain. I'd also love to hear your favorite quinoa recipes. So, do tell...
