Southwest Quinoa Salad

I threw this together last minute for a cocktail party and received rave reviews!  Most people ate it as a dip with tortilla chips, but it can be eaten just as is or served with chopped fresh spinach for a refreshing, super healthy lunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked red quinoa, cooled 

¾ cup chopped red bell pepper

¾ cup frozen fire roasted corn, thawed (you can buy this a Trader Joe’s)

¼ cup finely chopped onion (red or yellow)

¾ cup low/no sodium canned black beans, drained and rinsed

¾ to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Zest and juice of ½ a lime

2 TBS rice wine vinegar (red wine or cider vinegar will work as well)

1 TBS olive oil

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. The salad can be served immediately or chilled for later. 

Hummus (aka Hummous)

I love Middle Eastern flavors and hummus is one of my favorite dishes - it is great as an appetizer with pita chips, spread on a vegetable sandwich or smeared on a bagel for a savory breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 - 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 TBS lemon juice
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Directions
Combine the beans through the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Add the water as needed to adjust the consistency to your preference (I used about 1/2 cup). 

"Fresh" Homemade Salsa

I am almost always disappointed with store bought salsa, even some of the freshly made ones found in the refrigerated section so I was excited to try this recipe. Well...I was not disappointed. By using a mixture of canned tomatoes and fresh ingredients such as onions, garlic and cilantro you really end up with something that tastes fresh and homemade (or like the stuff served at your favorite Mexican restaurant). It is also a bargain as it makes about 4 cups for less than $3 and with the way we go through salsa in my house that is important. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. 

1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I recommend using fire-roasted tomatoes)

1- 10 oz can original Rotel (really any Rotel will work, why not mix it up for different flavors?!)

1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded 

1 teaspoon honey (more is not better here as it tames the heat and mellows the rest of the flavors)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1-2 handfuls of cilantro (I love cilantro so I used 2 handfuls)

juice of 1 lime

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine until all the ingredients are finely chopped (15-30 seconds) and your desired consistency is reached. Do not over-blend; you'll end up with something more like gazpacho than salsa.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. 

Adapted from "Easy Blender Salsa" at MountainMamaCooks.com.