I came up with this recipe largely because I way over purchased fresh ginger in my efforts towards my making my own ginger ale, a work still in progress.  I don’t often cook with fresh ginger which is really a shame.   I minced mine by hand with a very sharp knife, but if you own a fine microplane grater, you should absolutely use that.  I just haven’t purchased one of those yet.  If you’re short on time, I’d recommend just cooking 1 c. of quinoa in 2.5 cups of water for 15 minutes instead of the two part method below.  I usually cook it that way and can’t imagine that it would make too much of a difference.  Quinoa can be bitter if not rinsed well – so I’ve heard, so far I’ve never run into this myself – so take caution to rinse extra well in a strainer before you get started.  I like my quinoa al dente – kind of crunchy tasting – almost like the texture of the teeny tiny brightly colored roe used in sushi, I forgot what they are called, I don’t eat sushi nearly as much as I used to.  If you’ve tried it and prefer a softer texture, just up your cooking time by about 3-5 minutes.

Quinoa, Black Beans, and Tomatoes in a Citrus Ginger Vinaigrette

1/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tbsps fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tbsp yellow onion, minced (green onions would have been great!  I was out)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

10 turns fresh ground pepper

1 c. organinc quinoa, rinsed very well in a strainer

1 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. canned diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained

In a bowl, combine juices, oil, ginger, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil.  Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and quinoa.  Let cook uncovered for 8 minutes, then drain into strainer.  Place strainer over a 1 inch of simmering water, then cover quinoa with a clean dish towel (fold to make small enough that the sides won’t catch on fire!), followed by the saucepan’s lid.  Steam quinoa for 7 minutes, then set strainer aside.  After cooling a few minutes, add quinoa to vinaigrette stir, then add black beans, and tomatoes.  Stir then season to taste with salt and pepper.