It’s time to post one of my favorite healthy and delicious lunch recipes.  The truth is the lazy days of summer have caught up with me and I have put on a few pounds.  I am not very happy about it but it doesn’t surprise me.  A few things added up to this troubling situation — kids around all the time means Mom works out a little less, we are on the go a little more than usual so healthy home cooked meals aren’t happening as often, and lastly (and probably the biggest offender) it’s hard for me to sit around a pool without a boat drink of sorts, a cold beer or a cold crisp white wine.  And I have a pool at my house!  Yikes. I reached into my Clean Food file and pulled out this awesome salad.  It’s tangy and filling and tastes great over a bed of lettuce or spinach or for dinner with some sliced chicken or grilled fish on top and sliced avocado. Stay tuned for some more Clean Food recipes!

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 can no salt added canned corn, drained and rinsed

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of one lime

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2-1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Prepare quinoa as directed on package (water should be twice as much as dry quinoa — bring water and quinoa to a boil and then simmer covered for 10-15 minutes).   Let quinoa cool a bit.  In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper.   In large bowl, add corn, black beans and red pepper and mix with 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar.  When quinoa is cooled, add it to the corn mixture.  Toss with olive oil mixture.  Add cilantro.  Chill.