Cooking & Packing Something different: Quinoa Salad – Cooling and Colorful
By AICR.org
Sep 1, 2008 - 7:51:14 PM
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Quinoa Salad – Cooling and Colorful
By Dana Jacobi for
the
American Institute
for Cancer Research
With a few
sizzling days no doubt still in store for us before the cool of autumn breezes
in, an interesting trio of ingredients came to mind for just such an occasion:
tomatoes, mango and quinoa.
From
now until the first frost, tomatoes are the best of the year.
Locally grown varieties are abundant almost
everywhere, perhaps even in your own backyard.
Supermarkets often feature them prominently, encouraging us to support
local farmers. Your pocketbook may like this, too, since local, seasonal
produce tends to have the best price as well.
An
additional reasons to enjoy local tomatoes in season is their heightened
nutrient density. Dark red, just-ripe tomatoes offer a higher lycopene content
(a phytochemical that may play a role in preventing prostate cancer) than less
ripe varieties.
In addition, studies
suggest that the vitamin C content of tomatoes can diminish after lengthy
storage times, so the quicker they get from farm to plate, the better.
Warm
weather gives tropical foods greater appeal, too.
Compare eating a mango – the most widely
eaten fruit in the world – in February to burying yourself in its juicy flesh
on a day teeming with humidity. Unless you’re escaping the winter on a sandy
beach, it just isn’t the same.
Combining
mangoes and tomatoes and pairing them with light, fluffy quinoa (keen-wah)
seems like the perfect antidote for a steamy summer day.
The cilantro, mint and citrus contribute
their refreshing flavors to this cool salad and the chile pepper stimulates the
body’s natural cooling in hot weather.
Quinoa, Mango and
Tomato Salad
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup chopped ripe (or frozen) mango
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2-1 tsp. finely chopped red chile pepper, or 1/16 tsp.
ground cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, or to taste
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, chopped, or to taste
In mixing bowl, combine quinoa,
mango, tomato and onion.
In small bowl, whisk together lime
juice, chile pepper and salt until salt dissolves.
Add pepper, then whisk in oil.
Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and using
a fork, toss to combine.
Add cilantro
and mint, and toss to combine.
The salad
should be served the day it is made.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 140 calories, 5 g fat (<1 g saturated fat),
21 g carbohydrate,
3 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium.
###
The
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that
fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight
management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates
the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for
innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers
across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the
accumulated research in the field and is committed to a process of continuous
review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help
millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its
award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars
and on its Web site, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer
Research Fund International.