So, I have been enjoying, so much, writing all about my adventures in cooking and keeping track of all my recipes in the RECIPES section of my website, that I want to start an actual food blog. Everyday, I spend so much time checking out what's new on my favorite food blogs (I have quite a list by now). I really don't know why I didn't start this sooner...well yeah I do...I really don't enjoy spending so much time working on a computer but what motivated me to start today was this the absolutely delicious Mango and Avocado Quinoa salad I made last night for dinner, which I didn't eat until 9pm last night, because I was riding my bike all over creation looking for a ripe avocado to go with my mangoes that are on the verge of becoming too ripe. And God forbid, even one mango goes bad at a price of at least, $6 a mango, my heart would be broken for days. When living on a small island, its seriously a wild goose chase trying to find all the ingredients you need to complete a recipe, so more times than not your final product ends up completely different than the recipe you were prepared to follow. Sometimes my dinners are an absolute disaster and I eat them as fast as possible, in order not to taste them, and other times they are a masterpiece, like last nights salad. This Mango Avocado Salad has it all. Its got tons of protein, good fats, vitamins C, vitamin A...the list goes on. And of course, it has the flavor to match. The mango matches nicely with the cumin and turmeric, while the cilantro and lime give it an extra layer of flavor, I love the extra crunch you get from the almonds, while avocado just tastes good in everything. I was able to enjoy some corn on the cob as a side, which is an absolute luxury in this place. Literally only about once a year, they have actual corn on the cob in the supermarkets ( I am still too nervous to buy the shrink wrapped corn I see all the time, really what were they thinking.) Oh so back to my point, the reason I started this blog entry today, was...I thought the best way to get into actual food blogging would be to share this amazing salad with the people in "No Croutons Required", which is a monthly food blogging contest. This month's theme is grains. I love this contest and have found so many more wonderfully addicting food blogs to follow from it. So here is my first entry to my food blog and my first entry in the "No Croutons Required" food blog contest hosted by Lisa of http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/
Mango and Avocado Quinoa Salad
1 avocado, diced
1 mango, diced
1 cucumber, diced
½ cup almonds, chopped
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 lime
1 tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper
green onions
Soak quinoa for 10 minutes in hot water and then drain. Boil fresh water and once boiling, add quinoa. Cook until all the water is gone, about 10 minutes. Let it sit and soak up the water. Then fluff with a fork.
Dice up avocado, mango, and cucumber and put in a bowl. Add almonds and pumpkin seeds. Then heat olive oil in a pan. Add the nuts, and mango mixture to the pan. Add turmeric and cumin. Saute for 30 seconds and return to bowl. Add the quartered tomatoes to the bowl. Squeeze the juice from a whole lime onto the mixture. Then add the cilantro and salt and pepper. Mix all together. Then add the quinoa to the mixture and finally add the green onions.
