Cuban Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS
Quinoa – 3 cups, cooked
Black Beans – 3 cups, cooked & drained (or canned & drained)
Sweet Corn – 2 cups, frozen (or fresh and lightly boiled)
Scallions or Sweet Onion – ½ cup, sliced or diced
Sweet Red Pepper – ½ cup, chopped
Celery – ½ cup, chopped
(Optional) Tomato – 1 medium, fresh, diced
Parsley – 2 Tablespoons, fresh, chopped
Cilantro – 1 Tablespoon, fresh, chopped
Lime Juice – from 1 medium-sized lime
Balsamic Vinegar – 2 Tablespoons
Soy Sauce – 2 Tablespoons
Salt – 1 teaspoon if using unsalted beans or ½ teaspoon if using salted beans
Garlic Powder – ½ teaspoon (fresh garlic is too spicy)
(Optional) Onion Powder – 1 teaspoon
Cayenne – ¼ teaspoon or to taste

Mix all ingredients and chill for several hours. Taste before serving and adjust if necessary. The quinoa absorbs the flavors as it sits, leaving the salad a bit blander then it started out.

To cook Quinoa, rinse 1 cup and bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add grain and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. This can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.

Notes: This salad keeps extremely well for as long as a week and a half. There is no extra oil in this salad. The fat comes from the grain, beans and corn.