This salad was inspired by the fresh hot Jalapeño peppers I bought the other day. It isn’t easy to come by them in this part of the world. The nutritional value of these peppers vary depending on the variety and maturity. The green raw ones contain fiber, folate and vitamin K. One cup of sliced, raw green Jalapeño contains around 60% of the daily requirement for Vitamin C, 14% Vitamin A and 4% Iron. The ripe Jalapeño, which are red in colour, contain vitamin B6 and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. This dish is rich in lycopene as tomatoes contain high amounts of it too.
I wanted to make a plant protein dish and what came to mind is the wonderful grain Quinoa! It is considered a complete protein as it has all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. One cup cooked quinoa provides around 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. I wanted to add more fiber to this dish and an additional amount of protein, so I added a cup of small black beans. The Jalapeños added a spicy kick with a delicious peppery flavour!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1.5 cup dry quinoa
12 cherry tomatoes
1 medium carrot
1/4 cup sweet corn kernels
1 bunch kale
2 bunches parsley
2 jalapenos
1 red bell pepper
2 cups cooked black beans
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
Dressing:
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp molasses sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Method:
Make the dressing and cool it in the fridge for 1 hour
Boil 3 cups of water and add the dry quinoa uncovered
Once cooked, set it aside and cover to let it steam for 5 minutes
Halve each cherry tomato
Chop the carrot into 1/2 inch pieces
Slice the bell pepper into 1 inch squares
Chop the garlic cloves into small pieces
Chop the kale into bite sizes and this should give you around 1/2 cup of kale
Separate the parsley leaves from the stem and this should give you 1/2 a cup of parsley leaves
Toss all the prepared ingredients in a bowl and pour the chilled dressing over it and give it one more turn and serve!
Healthy Balance 