Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad

We have had another busy month, to put it mildly. Ben's parents were able to visit for 2 weeks in February and we had such a lovely time with them and were going non-stop. We took many walks to the playground in the beautiful spring-like weather that we have been blessed with. We indulged a bit and went out to eat a few times while they were here, including a triple-date night with Ben and I, Ben's parents, and Andy and Kerry, to 2941. But most nights we were at home and I am very happy to say that we did a pretty good job of sticking to our plant-based diet. I have been continuing to find hidden treasures of recipes in the "veganomicon" cookbook and one of our absolute favorites is this quinoa salad.

Quinoa is such a beautiful grain with loads of protein. This salad is very versatile and we have made it a handful of times in the past month. It is great to enjoy on some greens for an afternoon lunch, as Ben and I did today. The joy of making something so many times is you really can work with the recipe to figure out your favorite way to eat it. Today we stumbled upon our favorite one :)

Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad

adapted from "Veganomicon." serves about 4 for a main lunch.

1 mango, peeled and cut into small dice

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup chopped scallions (green onions)

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or another mild tasting oil, such as plain olive oil)

juice from 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Combine mango, red bell pepper, scallions and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, oil, lime juice, and salt, and mix well. Add the quinoa and stir to incorporate, then fold in the black beans. Serve immediately, or chill before serving. Can be made the day before if desired, and is super good served over some salad greens. Enjoy!