My favourite way to cook a batch of quinoa is to saute 2 finely diced shallots in 3 Tbsp olive oil until tender but not browned. Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a sieve under cold water, drain well and add to shallots with 11⁄2 cups water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on lowest heat until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa has split open, revealing the germ of the kernel. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Makes about 3 cups. Leftover cooked quinoa will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and also freezes well.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp | Neutral oil |
1 clove | Garlic, crushed |
1 tsp | Ground cumin |
1 pinch | Cayenne pepper |
½ | Lemons, finely grated zest only |
1 ½ cups | Cooked black beans, or a 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed (Main) |
1 ½ cups | cooked quinoa, (half a cup raw) (Main) |
2 Tbsp | fresh lemon juice |
To serve
10 | Cherry tomatoes |
1 large | Avocado, flesh diced |
1 | Spring onion, finely chopped |
2 Tbsp | Chopped fresh coriander |
1 sprinkle | Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
8 | Cos lettuce leaves, or iceberg lettuce |
Directions
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- Add garlic, cumin, cayenne and lemon zest and sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add beans and toss over heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, mix in pre-cooked quinoa and lemon juice and leave to cool.
- When ready to serve, add tomatoes, avocado, spring onion and coriander. Season to taste. Toss to combine and serve in a bowl with lettuce cups alongside so people can help themselves.