Ingredients
- 1 mango, peeled and diced small
- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (a 15-ounce can)
- A few leaves of lettuce for plating
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the mango, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans.
Moskowitz notes, "You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavors to meld. To serve, place a few leaves of lettuce on a plate and scoop some salad onto it." She adds, "It tastes good chilled and even better at room temperature."
The pasta dish, Pasta Della California—named because, "Anything with avocado in it can be called 'California' right?"—was chosen for one of its primary ingredients: arugula. "Here in Portland arugula seems to grow like weeds," she says. "It's a really unfussy recipe that also teaches you how to make a basic garlic and oil pasta, if for some reason you don't already know."
She suggests you choose avocados that are ripe but still firm, and notes that softer avocado can easily be firmed up in the fridge for several hours before slicing.