If you’ll be fasting for Yom Kippur (or any other holiday or before a medical procedure or diet or for any other reason), it’s good to fill up first on foods like complex carbs and beans, which help you maintain your energy levels and make you feel fuller, longer (because they take longer to digest).
Also, don’t eat salty foods (they make you too thirsty).
This salad is worth a try. It’s made with kaniwa, which is similar to quinoa only the seeds are even tinier, about the size of poppy seeds. Kaniwa is easier to use than quinoa because the seeds don’t need rinsing (quinoa is coated with natural, but bitter-tasting saponins that must be rinsed off before you cook the seeds).
But kaniwa, like quinoa, is extremely versatile. You can bulk up this salad with all sorts of ingredients: avocado, celery, scallion, corn, peas, chopped bell pepper. And so on.
Kaniwa Salad with Roasted Tomatoes
1 cup kaniwa
1-1/2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup cut up green string beans
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 stalk celery, chopped, optional
1/3 cup pitted cured black or green olives, halved
1 medium avocado, chopped, optional
2 chopped scallions, optional
3-4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the kaniwa in a saucepan, cover with 1-3/4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Place the kaniwa in a bowl and let cool. While the kaniwa is cooling, place the tomatoes in a baking dish and pour about a half tablespoon of olive oil over them. Roll the tomatoes around the dish to coat them, then roast the tomatoes for about 10 minutes or until wilter. Set aside. Cook the green beans in lightly salted water for 6-8 minutes or until crunchy-tender. Drain and add to the kaniwa. Add the roasted tomatoes and any accumulated juices. Add the beans, olives and celery, avocado and scallions, if used, and toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Pour in the remaining olive oil and toss. Add 3 tablespoons of the lemon or lime juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add more juice if needed. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 4-6 servings