Recipe – Tutty-Fruity-Power Cubana Ensalada

Prep Time

15 Minutes

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Yields

4 generous servings

Prep Notes

Most of this salad can be done the day before and then assembled at the last minute!!

Grill the fruit and veggies and prepare the quinoa and the beans. Chopping the red onion and cilantro the next day will take you a few minutes and then put it all together and you’ll have it ready to go in a flash!

Ingredients

  • ½ pineapple, cut in slices, grilled
  • 1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded,grilled
  • 2 small or 1 large ear corn, grilled
  • 4 Tbsp avocado oil, divided (or any high-heat tolerant oil)
  • ½ – 1 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tsp salt, divided
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 5 oz power greens, or greens of your choice.
  • 1 Tblsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

  1. In a large glass bowl, toss the pineapple slices, red pepper and corn with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the chipotle and ½ tsp salt.
  2. On a medium fire, grill the veggies until nice grill marks appear and the pepper is softened. Do not discard the juice that is left at the bottom of the bowl (you’ll need this for your dressing.) Put the veggies back into the same bowl and set aside – more juice will accumulate from the grilled veggies
  3. Cut the rind from the pineapple slices. Discard the rind and cut the pineapple into small chunks. Discard the center core. Put pineapple chunks back into the vegetable bowl. (Scrape any of the juices back into the bowl.)
  4. Chop the red pepper and put back into vegetable bowl (again, capturing any juice that occurs when cutting up the pepper.) Put the pepper back into the bowl.
  5. Cut the corn off the cob. Put the corn back into the bowl and discard the cob. (You can do step 1-5 the day before.)
  6. In another bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, blueberries, red onion, black beans and cilantro.
  7. Toss the grilled veggies together and add them to the quinoa mixture – leave the juice in the bowl.
  8. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the juice in the bowl.
  9. Add the apple cider vinegar to the juice in the bowl and mix together.
  10. Pour this “dressing” into the quinoa mixture.
  11. Add the power greens and toss.

Notes

Optional Additions –

Add some chopped avocado to the top of your served salad… (About ½ avocado per plate.) Don’t mix it into the salad or it will become mushy.
Add grilled shrimp or chicken to the salad.
Add feta cheese to the salad.
Toss in some hazelnuts for crunch, if you’d like.

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