Last week I did a cooking demonstration for the Sisterhood of Temple Torat El, in Ocean Township, New Jersey. I prepared two salads from my book Hip Kosher, Quinoa with Beans, Corn and Peppers and Chopped Salad with Feta Cheese, Chickpeas and Zatar Vinaigrette.

Everyone saw how amazingly easy these salads were to make and how quickly it got done.

Some of the women had prepared the salads in advance so there would be enough for everyone to have a nibble after the demo. They also made Blueberry Crisp and Grand Finale cookies (also from the book). 

It was a feast. The salads they made looked beautiful and tasted dee-lish. 

Both salads are perfect for spring and summer. Not just easy, quick and tasty but also colorful and healthy, nice for dinner any day and also for company. Here’s the recipe for the quinoa salad:

Quinoa Salad with Beans, Corn and Peppers

1 cup quinoa

15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels

1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3-4 scallions, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped, optional

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Let drain. Bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa, bring to a boil, stir, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the quinoa into a bowl to cool. Add the beans, tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, scallions, jalapeno pepper and parsley. Toss ingredients gently. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice and cumin. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4-6 servings