cilantro Archives - Page 2 of 2 -

This sounds like a completely wacky combination, but please do not judge before you taste. It’s one of my new favorite things to eat. I once saw this peanut butter cilantro toast in a past issue of Bon Appetit and thought it sounded a bit strange, but set the idea in the back of my mind as something I might try someday. Lately though I’ve had Thai food on my mind and suddenly the combination didn’t seem so far out anymore. I had some extra cilantro around and decided to make this on a whim the other day. It way surpassed my expectations. In every bite you get creamy peanut butter, refreshing cilantro, crunchy peanuts, and spicy sriracha. Oooh yeah. It’s just as easy to make as peanut butter and jelly, but the different layers of flavor and texture make this so much more interesting. If you do not like sriracha, peanuts, or cilantro, then of course this isn’t for you, but give this a try if you like Thai food. With another slice of bread on top, it’s going to be a new regular in my husband’s lunch.

Peanut Cilantro Sriracha Toast

Ingredients

Slice of whole grain toast
Peanut Butter
Cilantro
Unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
Sriracha
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions

Spread a generous amount of peanut butter on a slice of whole grain toast. Top with fresh cilantro leaves, crushed peanuts, and sriracha. Finish by sprinkling some sea salt on top.

Notes

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

Whenever I make this vibrant and colorful salad, I feel happy and healthy. I learned a great tip for making quinoa from Lorna Sass’s book Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way. She recommends making the quinoa as if cooking pasta, rather than cooking rice. This means draining the extra cooking water rather than letting the quinoa sit to absorb all of the water. Ever since I started making quinoa this way, there has been no more mushy quinoa and it’s done perfectly every time. This is my own version of a salad that I once saw at the prepared foods counter at Whole Foods. It keeps well for several days in the fridge and is great for packing lunches or picnics!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad:
1 cup red quinoa, uncooked
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked corn, fresh or frozen
½ red pepper, chopped
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
⅓ cup red onion, finely chopped
For the Dressing:
1½ tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon fine grain salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
juice of ½ lime

Instructions

For the salad:

In a medium pot, boil 6-8 cups of water over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When the water is boiling, slowly add the quinoa and boil uncovered for 11-14 minutes. After 10 minutes, start checking the quinoa for doneness. The quinoa is done when the "dot" in the middle of the quinoa starts to disappear and when some of the white filaments start to come off the seeds. Drain the quinoa over a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the quinoa with the rest of the ingredients. Add the dressing and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with extra salt and pepper.

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, use a wire whisk to blend ingredients.