Pritikin Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Black Beans
The Pritikin Eating Plan recommends and incorporates the healthiest animal food choices — omega-3-rich fish, lean protein like chicken and turkey, and vibrant flavors with fruit and vegetables, making the most of spices and bold flavors. But if you’re a vegetarian, are there equally nutritious options? Yes, and this contest-winning entree shows now. Holly Yzquierdo of My Plant-Based Family submitted this Pritikin-approved recipe for Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Black Beans to a Pritikin Cooking School Recipe Contest, and she took the award for Best Meatless Dish.
Ingredients
- 3 cups quinoa - if using prepared-cooked - OR -
- 1 cup quinoa - if using UNCOOKED quinoa - plus
- 1-3/4 cups water - if using UNCOOKED quinoa
- ¾ cup black beans - dry
- ½ whole onion - sliced
- 1 whole jalapeno pepper - sliced, seeds removed for milder flavor
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves - chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes - diced, seeds removed
- ½ whole onion - diced
- ¼ cup jalapeno pepper - diced, seeds removed for milder flavor
- 1 whole lime - juiced and zest reserved
Instructions
- Rinse black beans and soak them overnight.
- Rinse black beans once again, then place them in a medium pot with 2 cups of water, 1/2 sliced onion, 1 sliced jalapeno, and 3 cloves of sliced garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until soft, about 40 minutes. The yield is about 2 cups of cooked black beans.
- If you are not using 3 cups of prepared quinoa, then rinse 1 cup of uncooked rinsed quinoa and the 1-3/4 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until water is absorbed, about 17 minutes. Aim for a fluffy, but not wet or sudden quinoa.
- Fluff the quinoa, stir in juice and zest from 2 limes and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Cover for 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup diced jalapenos, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 handful chopped cilantro, and the juice and zest from 1 lime.
- Layer beans, quinoa, and salsa on a plate and enjoy.
Nutrition
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The Pritikin Eating Plan is proven in more than 100 peer-reviewed studies to have life-saving benefits like lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Plus, you aren’t losing your mind while losing weight. There’s no calorie counting, no hunger. Just plenty of healthy, whole foods deliciously prepared, like the recipes shared with Spa Index. Pritikin was the first comprehensive lifestyle program in America, and after 39 years on the cutting edge of lifestyle science, we are still the longest-running, most successful program for reversing many of modern society’s health concerns, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. More than 100,000 people worldwide have come to Pritikin Longevity Center, in Miami Florida, for one-week programs, two-week programs, or longer. For some, the primary goal is losing weight. Others want to prevent and address health issues. Still others seek the ultimate spa-health vacation. Everyone leaves feeling better and, best of all – living better.
An updated, easy and nutritious grain salad
Where is the Quinoa in the list of ingredients?
Thank you for catching that omission for us, Anne. Sadly, this is no longer published on the Pritikin site (not sure why, it was popular), but we still have our printed notes. When this was first published after it won the Pritikin cooking challenge over 2 decades ago, the macros aimed for 3 cups of cooked quinoa. So start with 3 cups pre-cooked, or, 1 cup of uncooked rinsed quinoa and about 1-1/2 up to 1-3/4cups water to cook it until fluffy (not sodden). We’ve updated the recipe. Thank you again!