Tuesday TV and a Meal Bob and Jillian Would be Proud Of

Should I end that title with a preposition? No. It should read -- Tuesday TV and a Meal Of Which Bob and Jillian Would be Proud

But that doesn't sound as good.

So tonight is TBL and Parenthood. YES! Did I ever think my favorite night of television would revolve around The Biggest Loser? No, but it does, so there.  I don't know that I'll hook Cowboy for two nights of reality TV in a row. He accompanied me in my viewing of The Bachelor last night, and I'm not sure we'll get the phrase "Come here to me" out of our heads for a while.  We went to bed cracking up over how "real" he is with these women when he can just "be himself." Oh dear...

Anyway, kitchen is a bit of a mess since a week of Cowboy being sick and me being on 24/7 solo parenting duty. Regardless, I'm preparing this health-fest of a meal for tonight. This one's for you Bob and Jillian. (But ice cream just might make an appearance afterward.) Recipe after the jump.

Red Quinoa and Black Bean Vegetable Salad (from Oh She Glows)

Light, fresh, and packed with protein and healthy fats, this tangy salad will have you dreaming of Spring and Summer.
Inspired by Epicurious.
Yield: ~5 cups
For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked Red quinoa
• 1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 cup fresh corn (optional) *see note
• 1 small avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces

For the dressing:

• 4-5 tbsp of fresh lime juice (Juice from 2 small limes)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste

Directions:
1. Cook 1 cup Red Quinoa according to package directions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the chopped vegetables and whisk together the dressing.
3. Allow quinoa to cool after cooking for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the beans and vegetables and toss well.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Keep fresh in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Makes about 5 cups.
Note: I defrosted and drained frozen corn before adding it to the salad, but the result was rubbery corn. I would suggest using fresh corn only, if the season applies, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with the frozen stuff.

***I bought a can of corn. We'll see how that turns out. I am also adding an extra clove of gaaaw-lic (Emeril pronunciation)