Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Oranges

I don't like oranges. It's a fact. I've never liked them; not as a kid and not really as an adult. I occasionally indulge someone I'm eating with and eat them if they're in a mixture, but they are certainly not my first choice. I recall many soccer games where oranges were brought as the snack and all my happy teammates smushed them up into their mouths to make orange smiles. Me? I just hoped somebody had a spare Kudos bar on hand, since I couldn't stand the drippy juice and stringy consistency of oranges. They were just so messy and I really didn't want anymore stickiness on my body considering I was already sweaty from playing soccer. I guess they were refreshing to others-to me, they were repulsive.

Now here's the funny part: I've always loved orange flavored fruit candies. Orange Starburst and Skittles? Love that light citrus appeal. Even though fruit candies aren't my favorite (I prefer to just eat fruit in its natural form and if I'm splurging for candy, I want chocolate), when given the option, I usually go for orange, lemon, or lime. So the whole not liking oranges thing? It doesn't make sense other than I guess I don't like its a consistency?

Anyways, as much as I want to say this lunch salad changed my life, I would be lying to you. It was tolerable, but the first day was a bit...shocking. The orange had absorbed all the apple cider vinegar, so it was a bit tart, to say the least. But as the week went on, the orange subdued. I never took Will's suggestion to just warm it slightly and sprinkle on a little extra salt, but I can imagine it's good advice because many of our quinoa-based salads taste a little better slightly warmed instead of fresh out of the fridge. Anywho, I hope all you former soccer-orange-smiling kids find a grown-up way to eat oranges with this recipe!

Cooking Notes: The original recipe calls for whole coriander seeds that are toasted and lightly crushed, but we just used ground coriander. We also chose to use tri-color quinoa, mostly because it's fun. Will recommends heating this salad slightly and sprinkling a little more salt and/or olive oil over the top, to really bring out the flavor of the orange!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Oranges (adapted from The Kitchn; serves 6-8)
1 cup uncooked tri-color quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
2 large oranges
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Place the quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool (or make in advance and refrigerate).

Finely grate the zest of one orange and set aside. Supreme both oranges, reserving the juice and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, 3 tbsp of orange juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, coriander, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro. Adjust seasonings if desired. Place quinoa, black beans, and orange segments in a bowl and stir gently to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate before serving, or heat slightly when ready to eat (with extra salt).

Recipe: The Kitchn: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Orange-Coriander Dressing