Black Bean & Corn Quinoa Bowls with Peach Salsa

 

Now that peach season is finally here, I can resoundingly proclaim that summer's officially here as well.  It's definitely not summer in the south until you bite into your first ripe, juicy peach.  My kids love them,  I'm obsessed with them... I am a born-and-raised Georgia girl, after all.  I love using them in both sweet and savory applications - anything from an appetizer, to a main dish, to a dessert, to a cocktail - anything is fair game.  Pssst, if you're as obsessed as I am with peaches, check out the Pinterest board I've created.  You will feel like you've died and gone to peach heaven.

So on to this fantastic use for peaches.  This dinner is pretty much my favorite way to eat.  It's light and healthy, uses lots of fresh and seasonal produce, and it's full of flavor and quite filling.  I started with a bowl of fluffy quinoa, then layered on a mixture of spiced and seasoned black beans and corn.  Finally, I topped the bowls with plenty of fresh peach salsa and a small sprinkle of queso fresco cheese.  You have plenty of varying textures, flavors, you have sweet, salty, spicy... it's good stuff here.

This is super fast and easy, which is definitely a must for me these days. As the quinoa cooks, prepare  the peach salsa and mix up the black bean mixture.  You can even prep all the components ahead of time, and just store it all separately. Assemble when you're ready to serve.  Or if you're making this for a group, let everyone make their own bowls - I went easy on the spice, but I think some pickled or fresh jalapeños would be really great sprinkled on top as well.  We all really loved this dinner, and the leftovers were great for lunch the following day.

I love peaches so much that I can't pick a favorite recipe or way to eat them, but what's yours?

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Bowls with Peach Salsa
adapted from A Couple Cooks

Peach Salsa

• 4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, minced
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 2-3 Tbs minced fresh cilantro (more or less to taste)
• 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
• Kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and gently stir.  Allow to sit 10-15 minutes before serving, to let the flavors meld.

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Bowls

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed well and drained
• 2 1/2 3 cups water or broth (chicken or veggie)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked black beans)
• 1-2 ears corn, shucked, and the kernels cut off the cob (about 1 cup of kernels)
• 3-4 green onions, sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese (or cojita or feta)

To cook the quinoa, add it to a medium saucepan with the water or broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork before serving.

Meanwhile, combine the beans, corn, onions, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl.  Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, layer the quinoa, black beans, and peach salsa.  Sprinkle about a tablespoon of cheese over the peach salsa, and serve.