Black Bean and Quinoa Toss

Memorial Day will soon be upon us and then the end of the school year will be right around the corner.  Personally, I can't wait to dig into all of the picnic and outdoor party food that I get to eat during the summer, and this healthy and delicious dish will definitely be on my menu often.  It really makes a great side with burgers and grilled chicken, but it is goes just as well with a turkey sandwich or as a stand alone vegetarian dish. And it definitely makes enough to take to a neighborhood picnic or to as leftovers for lunch throughout the workweek.

INGREDIENTS:

Oops! Forgot to put the quinoa in the picture!

• 2 green peppers, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup of corn
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, shredded
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475. Place green bell pepper quarters in a baking sheet and roast for 7-10 minutes, until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. In small sauce pan, combine quinoa with 2 cups of water and salt; bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender.  Transfer cooked quinoa into a shallow dish to cool (can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator).
3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, roast corn in butter for about 3-4 minutes until browned and slightly charred; allow to cool slightly.
4. Cut cooled roasted pepper quarters into 1/2 inch pieces.  In a large bowl, toss peppers with remaining ingredients and fold in cooled quinoa.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Difficulty: Medium
Time: This takes me about 30-35 minutes to make;  Sometimes, I don't allow everything to cool completely to save time, though, and I feel like it is much easier when I do some of the steps ahead of time (like make the quinoa and/or roast the peppers while I am cooking dinner the day before).
Source: A weekly circular for Giant Eagle