One of the big perks of working at BenBella is getting to check out all of the scrumptious new cookbooks. With so many talented authors on our roster, it’s easy to end up experimenting a lot in the kitchen and developing fresh culinary favorites. In the Staff Recipe Favorites column, we’ll be sharing some of the best-loved employee eats. We hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Staff Recommender
Leah Wilson, Editor in Chief
Recipe
Caribbean Quinoa Bowl from The PlantPure Nation Cookbook, by Kim Campbell
Thoughts from Leah
I’ve eaten primarily plant-based since I first read The China Study ten years ago, but nursing a wheat-sensitive new baby (pictured above!) the last few months has really pushed me out of my comfort zone when it comes to food choices.
The cookbook I find myself coming back to over and over again is Kim Campbell’s The PlantPure Nation Cookbook, the companion cookbook to her husband Nelson Campbell’s documentary PlantPure Nation. It’s not all gluten-free, of course, but there are plenty of recipes there that are, or that can be easily adapted. And I’ve yet to try one that didn’t make me happy I tried it.
My favorite so far: the Caribbean Quinoa Bowl.
I skipped the salsa and the onions, and it still turned out spicy-sweet and a great companion for a handful of corn tortilla chips (not quite whole food, plant-based diet compliant, but the crunch and salt pair with the dish pretty perfectly). I pre-make a batch on the weekend with everything but the avocado, then just cube and add that right before eating; I’m happy to report it holds up remarkably well. (I haven’t made it more than a few days before finishing it all, if I’m honest, but it’s always tasted just as good as fresh-made.)
Make it Yourself
Yields: 4 servings | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
4 cups chopped kale
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup salsa (medium heat)
1/2 cup diced pineapple (fresh, canned, or frozen)
3/4 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1 cup diced avocado
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Steps
- Rinse the quinoa, which can have a bitter taste if not rinsed thoroughly. Add the quinoa and the water to a pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Lightly steam the kale until bright green. Add to the bowl with quinoa.
- Add the beans, cumin, chili powder, salt, salsa, pineapple, and corn. Toss until the ingredients are well mixed.
- Top with the avocado and green onions and serve immediately.