Quinoa Salad Winner

Hello ladies! Ann Marie, thanks for posting!  My garden is just on the cusp of cranking out heaps of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc.  (Actually, the eggplant harvest looks really small this year, unfortunately.)  And the corn from the Farmers Market is at its peak . . . the best time of year!  I'll post this past week's menu plan as well as a recipe from Eating Well for a quinoa salad that is the best I've ever had.  Liam and I agree that I should make a huge batch every week and eat it for lunch/snack every day.  Its that good!  Enjoy!  :)

Sun: Chicken and black bean tostadas
Mon: Pizza with grilled veggies
Tues: Quiche, green beans, melon
Wed: Tilapia, grilled veggie quinoa
Thurs: Mussels, grilled sweet potatoes, farro
Fri: Fettuccine Alfredo, big salad, corn on the cob
Sat: Cuban shredded beef, Rice and beans with kale and grilled squash
Sun: Burgers on the way home from a birthday party
Mon: Butternut squash bisque, pesto pasta with garden fare
Tues: Chicken and veggie kabobs with brown rice

And now for the recipe:

CORN AND BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

They used 1 cup of dried black beans . . . soaked and then cooked with 6 cloves of peeled garlic and 1/2 tsp salt . . . I used a can!  :)
1 tsp salt, divided
4 medium poblano peppers
2/3 cup red quinoa (I couldn't find red, just used regular)
3 large ears fresh corn
6 1/2 TBSP of olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground (no way . . . I used ground cumin!)
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (Couldn't find, so I used little pearl-sized fresh mozz. balls, and it was awesome)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 avocado, thinly sliced

1.)  Cook beans with garlic and salt as per bean directions, if you are more energetic than me!  :)
2.)  Preheat broiler to high
3.)  Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, turning often, until blistered and charred, 8 to 15 minutes total.  Transfer to a paper bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Peel the peppers and discard the stems, ribs, and seeds. Tear the pepper into fat strips and cut the strips into 1-inch lengths.  (Note: I did all this, and while the finished product was awesome, I commented that if I was pressed for time I might just throw in a can or two of diced green chilis.  I think the salad would still be awesome, and much less work!)
4.)  Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and 1/4 tsp salt.  Boil til tender but still crunchy, 10 to 14 minutes.  Drain well and spread on a plate to cool.
5.) Meanwhile, boil corn for 3 minutes, cool, cut kernels off  cobs.
6.)  Heat 1 1/2 TBSP oil over med-high heat.  Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring frequently until limp and speckled with charred spots, 4 to 8 minutes.  Stir in cumin.
7.) Combine beans, peppers, corn, onion, and cheese.  Add 1/2 tsp of salt and toss.  Add 5 TBSP of oil and lime juice and toss again. Gently stir in quinoa.
8.)  Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and cilantro.  Serve the salad with avocado and lime wedges.