Mango+Black Beans=True Love 4eva

It's no secret that certain fruits are wonderful complements to Mexican-inspired dishes. My favorite salsas ALWAY include mangoes (is there an e in the plural of this word?), or peaches or something of the sort. So when I was perusing Veganomicon before going to the grocery store, the recipe for "Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango" really spoke to me. So I headed out.

I've been on a fast from Whole Foods for about 3 weeks now (3 weeks of abstaining will ALMOST cover how much money I spent there on that one trip), so I've been having to succumb to the realities at my local grocery store. Unfortunately, one such reality is that this store does not carry Quinoa. I keep looking for it every time I go, but it never appears. It's really surprising because each trip I find a more specific and random ingredient that I can't imagine more than one can is sold of each year, but whatever, it's my reality. I ALMOST went and visited the Customer Service desk to put in a request, but then I chickened out. I don't want to be that crazy girl who requests the crazy thing especially since I was dressed like a hobo and had already reached my maximum amount of time to be spent at a grocery store before freaking out.

So, long story short, I had to make this dish without Quinoa. I substituted with some whole wheat Jerusalem Cous Cous which I assume has less nutritious goodness than Quinoa, but whatever.

I also am still confused as to what the difference is between scallions and green onions, so I used green onions. I googled this conundrum and unfortunately, the websites I found said that they are basically the same thing...so, if you have any info on this subject, send it my way.

Oh yea, and I used olive oil, not grapeseed.

So pretty!!!

All in all, this was a nice dish but I would suggest cooking it in summer. Also, it was REALLY onion-y and I don't know if that was because I was using green onions and not scallions, but I would half the scallions if I were to make this again. I'd also add a jalapeno because I like spice. This is a great leftover lunch though.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango from Veganomicon by Moskowitz and Romero

1 mango, peeled and diced small
1 red pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it
1 cup chopped scallion
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (a 15-ounce can)

Directions:

Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans. Serve immediately or let it sit for a bit to let the flavors meld.