Quinoa Salad

If you haven't tried quinoa, perhaps this salad will entice you!  Make sure you rinse the quinoa at least three times before you cook it to remove the bitter saponins.  If you replace the quinoa, which is a grain-like pseudo-cereal with couscous, which is pasta you'll lose a lot of the nutritional value (although it will still taste good!).

Servings: 8

4 cups cooked quinoa (or whole-grain couscous if you can’t find quinoa)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup bell peppers (use red, orange or yellow), chopped
1 cup cucumber (leave skin on for green color), chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup black beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Juice of one lime (zest is optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro), chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve. That’s it!